 TRAINING NATIONAL Safety Talk ST070 - Driver Fatigue Sheet 1 - The signs of fatigue Feeling cramped or fidgety Your vehicle wandering on the road Your speed varies Overtaking vehicles startling youYawning unavoidably Your mind is wandering Your eyelids are heavy You are impatient

 TRAINING NATIONAL Safety Talk ST070 - Driver Fatigue Sheet 2 - The dangerous hours NoonMidnight NightDayDawnDusk

 TRAINING NATIONAL Safety Talk ST070 - Driver Fatigue Sheet 3 – Pre-start checks Brakes Steering Lights Tyres Correct tyre inflation Oil and water levels Clean windscreen Windscreen washers working Seat and steering adjustment Mirrors Seat belts

 TRAINING NATIONAL Safety Talk ST070 - Driver Fatigue Sheet 4 - Additional trailer pre-start checks Brake air line connections. Security of tool and chain boxes. Appropriate safety signs available and in place. Breakdown equipment in good order.

 TRAINING NATIONAL Safety Talk ST070 - Driver Fatigue Sheet 5 - Travel plan  plan your trip to avoid long drives after a full day’s work;  plan your work to avoid long drives before you start work;  have a light meal before you leave;  take advantage of the free coffee offered by road houses;  avoid drinking alcohol before or during the trip; and  if you have a passenger, share the driving and change over every hour. The basics of your plan should be:

 TRAINING NATIONAL Safety Talk ST070 - Driver Fatigue Sheet 6 - Night driving Note: Loading of vehicles and trailers can raise the position of your headlights to an extent that, even on low beam, your lights can blind oncoming drivers. Night driving precautions include: allowing more distance between you and the next vehicle; driving slower; keeping windscreens and mirrors clean; and making sure your load doesn’t affect the position of your lights.

 TRAINING NATIONAL Safety Talk ST070 - Driver Fatigue Sheet 7 - Headlight adjustment Face your vehicle one metre away from a wall. Put a mark on the ground and a corresponding mark on one of the tyres. Find the headlight adjusting screws under the bonnet. Mark the position of the screws. Turn the lights on and set them to low beam. Mark the concentration of the light beam on the wall. Repeat step 6 for high beam. Load you vehicle. Re-position the vehicle on the one metre mark. Turn on the lights and set them to low beam. Locate the concentration of light at the centre. Adjust the lights to the mark you made before loading the vehicle or trailer. This adjustment should be sufficient to cover both high and low beam. Readjust your lights to their original setting when you have unloaded your vehicle.

 TRAINING NATIONAL Safety Talk ST070 - Driver Fatigue Sheet 8 - Additional skills for night driving Look for the signs of oncoming traffic. Look out for light flashes as you near a corner. Watch for a glow as you approach a hill. Be prepared for vehicles with lights on high beam. Remember, when you dip your lights, you reduce your visibility.

 TRAINING NATIONAL Safety Talk ST070 - Driver Fatigue Sheet 9 - How to avoid falling asleep at the wheel  get plenty of sleep before setting out;  stop every two hours for a drink or take a short walk;  when you feel drowsy, STOP immediately and have a nap;  if you have a passenger, alternate the driving every hour;  open the window as fresh air will clear your head;  play music or the radio to stimulate your brain; and  do not drink alcohol or take any medication prior to or during your trip. Some ways of remaining refreshed for long drives are: