Sleep-deprived bus drivers complain of risky trips

Drivers who cause fatal road traffic accidents when they fall asleep at the wheel are continuing to wreck the lives of thousands in the country.

Just last week, 52 people were injured after a bus d r iver fell asleep in Nawalap i t i t ya in Gonewalapathana area at about 12.55 pm, police reported. The driver was also among the wounded.

Several similar accidents have been reported over the past three months.

A survey by the University of Sri Jayawardenapura shows that nearly 12 per cent of the accidents were caused due to lack of sleep or driver fatigue.

“Those who reported sleeping six or fewer hours per night had an increased risk of crashing their vehicles compared with those who reported sleeping more than six hours,” the report says.

The risks are higher among drivers who operate long distances.

According to the National Transport Commission, the longest route is from Colombo to Kankesenthurai at 405 kilometres, while Colombo to Point Pedro there is a distance of 388km. From Colombo to Batticoala the stretch is 363.8km and Colombo to Ampara is 337.5km. Colombo to Mannar is 315.1km and Colombo to Kandy is 117km. Batticaloa to Jaffna is 363km.

Bus driver K Sasindaraja, 40, who has been operating on the Colombo to Batticaloa run for more than 10 years, said he would leave Colombo at9:00pm and reach Batticaloa around 4:00am. And he barely gets a break in between trips, except for tea.

“There is only one stop for tea,'' he said. “And sometimes if the bus leaves late we will not stop due to the schedule.''

Bus driver Sugath Rathnayake who works on a Vilachchiya ( Anuradhapura)- Colombo run said he leaves Vilachchiya, every day at about 2: 30 am and reaches Colombo by 8: 5 a. m. Then, he again leaves Colombo at 1:10 pm. He sleeps in between trips and does not get a chance for a long rest.

When drivers arrive at their destinations, they do not have a place to sleep before the next trip. Almost all drivers complain about the lack of facilities to even take a shower.

“We usually go only a trip per day, but sometimes in the festival season like Avurudu, we go on two trips, which is very tiring. We need a proper place to refresh ourselves, said driver A. L. Soosa who operates on the Gampola to Colombo run.

A bus driver who operates from Colombo to Kankesenthurai, Chaminda Prema Kumara, 38, suggests having two drivers for every bus. “Sleep is a bigger priority for me now after I fell asleep behind the wheel several years ago after working an overnight shift.”

He said there were three stops on the route for tea. “But when I feel sleepy I usually stop at more than three stops and I don’t consider the schedule.''

According to experts in sleep disorders, drivers, who do not sleep for at least five hours a day, are 15 times more likely to cause road accidents than those with a healthy sleep pattern.

General Physician and Medical Consultant at National Hospital Colombo, Dr. A.H.V Fernando said sleep deprivation impairs reflexes and the reaction time of drivers of heavy and commercial vehicles such as buses, trucks and lorries.

Drivers adopt various ways to overcome fatigue and drowsiness. They chew betel, listen to music, use drugs, cannabis and marijuana, cigarettes and alcohol, adjust the air-conditioning to cooler or warmer temperatures, splash water on their faces, drink coffee, stretch, walk and talk while driving. But research has shown that none of this works. Lack of sleep is one cause of road accidents. Other factors such as hypertension and associated risk of cardiovascular disease, and sleep apnea are also responsible for sleep-related accidents, Dr Fernando said.

The National Council for Road Safety, chairman, Dr Sisira Kodagoda said drivers are checked for physical fitness, eyesight and driving skills, along with whether they suffer from non-communicable diseases and whether they are undergoing treatment.

“A bus driver and conductor should only work for eight hours per shift, and buses travelling long distance routes such as from Colombo to Jaffna where the duration of such journeys exceed eight hours, the driver should maintain two crews,'' he said.