Based on Coroners ' verdicts, fatigue of car or truck drivers was a contributing factor in 9.1 % of fatal accidents involving trucks. Based on the presence of factors such as extended driving hours, falling asleep at the wheel, comments about tiredness, driving right of centre and night-time driving, the authors estimated fatigue contributed to 19.9 % of the accidents. There were approximately equal numbers of fatigued car drivers and truck drivers. An analysis of casualty and fatal truck accidents by time of day (adjusted for exposure) showed that accident risks were highest during the night on all five Victorian highways studied. Driver fatigue is one of the possible factors underlying this pattern of elevated risk. The report section described in-vehicle fatigue counter-measures. The distinction between fatigue monitors and alerting devices was made and it was recommended that eye closure and head nodding monitors and an alerting device be tested in the next stage of this project. Key Words: Fatigue (human), accident rate, fatality,

Reports of in-depth crash studies fran Australia, UK, Europe and the USA were reviewed. Successful studies were found to have defined and explicit objectives, a sound statistical design, appropriate analysis, and a substantial report which was related to the objectives of the study. On-scene studies gather transient information, and allow developnent of insight into the crash process; follm-up studies are more convenient, but at the cost of lmt information. The resources required for each are similar. Apart fran a small rural study near Adelaide, there has been no field study of crash performance of vehicles in Australia since 1977. There is a need for a system for continual monitoring of the effects of changes in vehicles and the envirornnent on injuries and the crash process. This should be done through on-scene studies of rural and urban crashes, and through a system of a m n t e d police reports. Kewrds (IRRD): on the spot accident investigation; method; accident; research; rural-area; urban-area; international; evaluation (assessment). e:,) FORS research reports are disseminated in the interests of information excharge.!) The views expressed are those of the author(s1 and do not necessarily represent those of the Canronwealth Govemnent. I) The Federal Office of Road Safety publishes two series of research report: reports generated as a result of research done within the Fols are published in the OR series; reports of research conducted by other organisations on behalf of the FORS are published in the CR series. (a) (b)