A STUDY ON THE FACTOR OF DRIVERS’ FATIGUE TOWARDS HEAVY VEHICLE ROAD ACCIDENTS FROM DRIVERS’ PERCEPTIVE

Abstract

Nowadays, the number of road accidents especially the accidents involving heavy vehicles is currently increasing from time to time. There are various factors that cause heavy vehicle road accident. One of the factors is driver’s fatigue. Fatigue is usually caused by lengthy time periods of physical and mental energy without ample of time to rest and recover. In most of the busiest countries driver fatigue is a major contributing factor to road accidents. Heavy vehicle road accidents that caused by drivers fatigue not only happen by driver’s drowsiness but it also cause by other factors such as, weather conditions, duration of driving, night trips, stress and worries and more. Road accidents involving heavy vehicles are becoming common place and a serious problem not only in Malaysia but also in other countries. Although, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) enforces many rules and regulation to reduce the heavy vehicle road accidents, but there has not been a substantial decrease in the occurrence of such accidents. Hence, this research will be done to identify the major factor of drivers’ fatigue that causes heavy vehicle road accidents. This thesis also stresses on the suggestion to reduce heavy vehicle road accidents cause by fatigue.