Fatigue and a deadline on a night trunk run
You started driving at 06:00 and have now been on duty for 13 hours, including 9 hours of driving with short breaks. You have 2 hours of driving left to reach the depot, and your tachograph shows you are close to your daily driving limit. It is 19:00, dark, and raining. You feel heavy-eyed, have yawned repeatedly in the last 30 minutes, and drifted over the lane line twice. There is a service area 5 km ahead and the depot is 120 km away. Your employer has stressed the delivery is urgent.
1. Assess your fitness to continue and the legal position.
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Fitness: The symptoms - heavy eyes, repeated yawning, and two lane drifts - are clear signs of fatigue. Fatigue impairs reaction time, judgement and attention, and the risk is higher at night in rain. Continuing for 2 hours in this state is unsafe.
Legal position: You are close to your daily driving limit and have been on duty 13 hours. Driving beyond permitted hours is an offence, and your employer cannot require you to break the rules. Urgency does not override the law or safety.
Decision: You should not attempt the remaining 120 km now. Stop at the service area 5 km ahead, take a proper break, and reassess. If still fatigued, you must not drive - arrange relief or rest. Record the situation and inform your employer.
2. What should you do in the next few minutes and what should you tell your employer?
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Next few minutes:
- Stop at the service area (5 km ahead) - do not push on to the depot.
- Park safely, switch off, and take a rest break; a short nap and caffeine can help temporarily, but the only real remedy for fatigue is rest/sleep.
- Reassess honestly after resting; if you still feel drowsy, do not drive.
Tell your employer:
- You are fatigued and have stopped for safety.
- Your driving time is close to the daily limit and you cannot legally or safely complete the run now.
- You need relief, a rescheduled delivery, or rest - whichever is appropriate.
Key point: No delivery is worth a crash. Report the situation factually and do not let pressure override the law or your judgement.