Tired of raising awareness of driver fatigue? Push on

Countermeasures for non-commercial driver fatigue in NSW often involve the development and
implementation of public education campaigns. The current study involved a telephone survey of the
knowledge, attitudes and self-reported behaviours to driver fatigue of 1000 licence holders in NSW.
The research was conducted to provide future strategic directions for driver fatigue policy and public education in NSW. Basic analyses of results, as well as more complex statistical analyses are presented. These revealed the importance of attitudes to driver fatigue (including perceptions of its seriousness) as well as situational factors to self-reported driver fatigue behaviour. The more complex analyses lead to the creation of a driver behaviour index, the creation of four clusters or types of fatigued driver and path analyses to quantify the relationship of perceptions of the seriousness of
driver fatigue with attitudes and behaviour. Implications of the study include the likely benefits of further increasing the perceived seriousness of driver fatigue and decreasing its social acceptability. It also notes the importance of considering reasons that some groups of drivers give for pushing-on when tired and their general resistance to breaks. The study gives useful data on the most salient warning signs for driver fatigue and indicates community support for the creation of an offence of driving
while fatigued.