Hey, stay awake! Managing truck driver fatigue through provision of rest facilities in Australia

As Australia's most populous state, New South Wales has a large freight task. It has an area of more than 809,000 square kilometres, nearly ten times the size of Portugal. Management of heavy vehicle driver fatigue is an issue where trucks have to travel such large distances. In 2009, a new heavy vehicle fatigue management regime has been introduced across Australia to ensure that drivers manage their driving hours to reduce fatigue. In NSW, a complementary strategy has been developed to provide a network of Major Heavy Vehicle Rest Areas, to offer opportunities for heavy vehicle drivers to stop and rest in roadside facilities with appropriate amenities. This paper describes in general the heavy vehicle driver fatigue issues in NSW, and then discusses the development of the rest area strategy, the criteria for selection of locations and the facilities being provided.