Causes of Truck and Cargo Drivers’ Fatigue in Bangladesh

Abstract

In recent studies, it has been observed that fatigue is one of the major factors contributing to fatal accidents in Bangladesh. It is increasing tremendously and alarmingly and causing the huge loss of lives and assets. In Bangladesh, heavy vehicle drivers are susceptible to frequent fatigue related accidents, thus increasing disability and social and economic vulnerability. The study aims to identify truck drivers’ causes of fatigue and other physical, socio-psychological and economic consequences on the drivers. The study was conducted during January-June 2012 in the different truck and cargo terminals of Dhaka city in Bangladesh. A total of 400 drivers were chosen purposively. Qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews and focused group discussion methods. The study indicates that the reasons behind fatigue led injuries were the driver’s consistent working pressure, longer non-stop driving, traffic congestions, driving in drunk condition, inadequate facilities of physical and mental rests, family conflicts and long detachment from family care, owners and drivers ill relationship, harassments by police, job insecurity and income frustrations etc. The study showed that above 83% of the drivers directly or indirectly suffered from fatigue related problems. The study showed that pressure from owners and businessmen and lack of mal-nutrient food consumption were the leading causes of fatigue. The owners’ and drivers’ associations, civil society, Government of Bangladesh (GOB), NGOs and development partners should address the fatal crisis by adopting appropriate interventions to reduce the said fatigue related accidents.

The Effect of Work-Life Balance on Job Stress and Fatigue in Taxi Drivers

“…[56][57][58] When the number of traffic accidents is examined according to the fatigue levels of the employees, it has been stated that fatigue causes distraction and increases the likelihood of traffic accidents. 31,59,60 A study on fatigue-induced accidents has stated that approximately 83% of drivers in Bangladesh had a direct or indirect fatigue-related crash. 61 Driver fatigue has been identified as a condition that reduces mental alertness.…”

“…Among the factors contributing to fatigue, long working hours is the most important factor. 31,[59][60][61] Lim and Chia 29 have examined the fatigue levels of the employees according to the average working hours, and they have shown that long working hours are an important factor that causes fatigue. The economic burden of taxi drivers leads to longer working hours, which increases the taxi driver's fatigue.…”

Factors of Fatigue on Long-route Drivers in Bangladesh

“…Again, 72% of the drivers did not get to go home to spend time with their families. Many drivers sleep inside the vehicle because of the unavailability of cheap rest houses [4]. Most of the drivers in the study did not have fixed salaries, and they were paid per trip.…”

“…Fatigue is one of the significant factors for fatal accidents in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, heavy vehicle drivers are prone to frequent fatigue-related accidents, thus increasing disability and social and economic vulnerability [4]. The number of fatalities in road accidents continues to climb, reaching 1.35 million in 2016.…”

“…The number of road accidents and fatalities increased by 13.43 percent and 15.7 percent, respectively, in 2021 compared with 2020 [6]. According to a survey, 83% of Bangladeshi drivers had psycho-social issues and were directly or indirectly affected by fatigue [4].…”