Software firm Fleetcheck has added a fatigue assessment to the employee fit-to-drive declaration included in its daily vehicle walkaround safety app.
It said there was increasing concern about the dangers of tired drivers among employers and a desire to include it in risk management policies.
Fleetcheck founder and managing director Peter Golding said: “Fatigue is something that fleets mention to us more and more, and there seems to be a general growing awareness among businesses about the dangers of being tired behind the wheel.
“The road charity safety Brake says that tired drivers have slower reaction times and suffer from reduced attention, awareness, and ability to control their vehicles. It is a genuine risk management issue.
“One company recently mentioned to me that they had a long-distance van driver with a new baby in the family who was visibly tired, and they were worried about his performance, eventually moving him onto lighter duties than his normal route.
“For the vast majority of employees, this kind of fatigue will be a temporary situation and whatever is causing the tiredness will pass, but it is right that it is taken seriously as a problem that can seriously affect your driving performance.”
The fit-to-drive declaration covers factors including the current health of drivers and any medication they are taking. It is normally included in the Fleetcheck app as part of a daily walkaround check that drivers undertake on their vehicles, before getting behind the wheel.
Golding said: “Obviously, a declaration of this kind is not perfect but it does raise the subject of whether you should be driving in your current state, and emphasises that your employer takes fatigue seriously as a subject.
“That means that if you’re in a situation where you really haven’t slept much for whatever reason, you can raise it with your employer and be taken seriously. For many fleets, that feels like a step forward.”
