Drivers' understanding of fatigue management and countermeasures

Focus groups were used to explore drivers? understanding of fatigue, the associated crash risk, and strategies for preventing or combating fatigue. Participants appeared to understand that fatigue impairs driving. The role of personal experience in learning about the risks and symptoms of fatigue, and about how to ?cope? with fatigue, was highlighted. Some participants appeared to believe (incorrectly) that fatigue can be overcome through ?willpower.?
Focus group participants were able to describe a range of strategies for combating fatigue, but many of these have been shown to be ineffective. Interestingly, powernaps, which have been widely
promoted within the media were thought to be ineffective by a large proportion (approximately half) of participants.
Potential mechanisms for disseminating messages about fatigue to the driving public were also
discussed.