Lives at risk as tired cabbies run on fumes

Lives at risk as tired cabbies run on fumes
ANTHONY TEMPLETON | January 28th, 2012


TAXI drivers are driving up to 14 hours without a break, putting passengers at risk.

Townsville Taxis yesterday said it was powerless to force drivers to take breaks because of their contracts.

Concerned passenger Rachel Last asked a taxi driver to stop and leave her on the side of the road at 3am last Sunday because she was scared he would fall asleep at the wheel.

"You could see he was fighting to stay awake because his head kept slumping back, then the car would veer into the wrong lane," she said.

"I had to make the driver stop and let me out.

"I called my boyfriend to come pick me up.

"I rang my mum and woke her up because I wanted someone to be on the phone in case something bad happened."

Townsville Taxis manager Kevin Bye said drivers had to take responsibility to pull over if they felt tired.

"Each driver is essentially an individual contractor and (Townsville Taxis) acts like a call centre that manages all the incoming jobs," he said.

"Taking breaks during a shift is up to the driver but it is something we encourage.

"They should take at least one break each shift."

Mr Bye said it was mandatory for each driver to undertake an annual course on the dangers of driving tired.

"We make drivers go through a refresher course about fatigue management and they also have to sign a document saying they understood all the information and attended the course," he said.

"The system in the cars only allows a driver to work for 14 hours in any 24-hour period.

"Most shifts are 10 hours."

Ms Last, the daughter of Townsville City Council Community Health and Safety Committee chairman Dale Last, said she was "petrified" of being hurt during her trip from Flinders St to Rosslea.

"It's distressing when you realise the person you have paid to get you home might run off the road," she said.

"You catch a taxi to make sure you get home safe."

Dr Simon Smith, a senior research fellow at Queensland University of Technology's Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety, said driving for 14 hours without a break was "very dangerous".

"When you are tired, your ability to drive the car and spot potential hazards is substantially reduced," he said.

"No one, especially professional drivers, should continue driving if they notice they are having trouble concentrating on the road or are feeling sleepy."

Dr Smith said taxi drivers working a night shift had to be especially vigilant for symptoms of fatigue.

"Our bodies naturally want to go to sleep between midnight and 6am so anybody who is driving during these periods needs to make sure they pull over as soon as they notice any signs of fatigue," he said.

"There is obviously a high demand for taxis during these periods because people want to go out in town but even passengers should watch the road and make sure their driver will get them home safely."

Effects of fatigue
- Driving after being awake for 18 hours is equivalent to driving with a Blood Alcohol Content of 0.05
- Driving after being awake for 24 hours is equivalent to driving with a Blood Alcohol Content of 0.10
- About 20 per cent of all fatal crashes involve driver fatigue
- Drivers should take at least every two hours, or if they start to feel tired

The major signs of fatigue are
- Loss of concentration
- Heavy eyelids
- Yawning
- Head nodding