WASHINGTON — The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has partnered with the North American Fatigue Management Program (NAFMP) to help mitigate crash risks due to drowsy drivers behind the wheel. The NAFMP was developed by medical and sleep scientists from Canada and the United States through a multi-year, four-phase comprehensive process, according to a CVSA news release.
“Our goal at CVSA is to prevent crashes involving commercial motor vehicles,” said CVSA President Capt. John Broers with the South Dakota Highway Patrol. “Offering the North American Fatigue Management Program as one of the Alliance’s driver-related educational programs helps us do our part to combat crashes caused by driver fatigue and exhaustion.”
FMCSA Deputy Administrator Meera Joshi said that her agency is “excited for this additional opportunity to partner with CVSA to address driver fatigue. FMCSA has supported the NAFMP since its inception and looks forward to CVSA continuing to provide this important program to educate the motor carrier industry on driver fatigue.”
The program aims to prevent driver fatigue and eliminate fatigue-related crashes by:
- Offering easy-to-access online fatigue prevention training and education to commercial motor vehicle drivers, motor carrier executives and managers, freight shippers and receivers, dispatchers, driver managers, driver’s spouses and families, safety managers and trainers, etc.;
- Encouraging a motor carrier safety culture that proactively considers situations that may contribute to driver fatigue and fights to prevent it;
- Identifying sleep disorders and treatment options; and
- Utilizing driver fatigue management technologies.
In addition, CVSA plans to enhance, improve and grow the program by:
- Hosting live and recorded Q&A sessions;
- Offering a moderated forum where users may ask questions and provide feedback;
- Offering information sessions at CVSA events and conferences;
- Hosting program and steering committee meetings to discuss program improvements;
- Offering webinars on various topics relevant to fatigue management; and
- Offering Spanish content in addition to English and French.
“CVSA has the ideal infrastructure of events and channels of communication to foster the NAFMP,” said NAFMP Steering Committee Chair Roger Clarke.
Carriers, owner-operators and drivers can download a step-by-step implementation manual and register in the eLearning platform for the program courses.
“This program has the potential to reduce fatigue-related risks, improve driver alertness, health and wellness, increase productivity, and decrease crashes and roadway fatalities,” Broers said. “The online training and educational courses available through this program are free, voluntary, self-paced and available 24/7. We encourage all drivers and motor carriers to utilize these online tools.”
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