DRIVERS' FATIGUE * USA - The Fatigue Checklist — Scant Science

Get a group of truckers together anywhere in this country, and Minnesota’s “Fatigued Driving Evaluation Checklist” is bound to come up

Roseville,MINN,USA -Transport Topics, by John Hausladen, President Minnesota Trucking Association -17 July 2009: -- The 75-item list gained national prominence when the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association sued the Minnesota State Patrol in federal court in an attempt to stop its use... OOIDA alleges the checklist violates basic civil rights, is open to broad interpretation and has no basis in science... Truck drivers from across the country comments opposing the checklist, which to them feels like just one more insult and invasion of privacy. Life on the road is tough enough without troopers asking if you read or watch TV during the 10 hours the government forces you to stay in your sleeper berth... Unlike previous legal challenges regarding untested technology such as Breathalyzers or radar guns, this is largely about human interpretation. The court cannot create the aforementioned confidence, clarity and consistency we will need to address the federal fatigue mandate. That will be left to regulators, law enforcement and the trucking industry working together to develop a verifiable, science-based standard for assessing fatigue that not only will work on the roadside but also will be an invaluable training tool for carriers and drivers... (Photo from emercedesbenz: Mercedes Developing Fatigue Warning System)