Abstract
ABSTRACTTraffic accidents and resulting injuries and deaths have become a global epidemic. In Brazil, most professional drivers, especially truck drivers, face irregular working hours and can be awake for more than 18 hours/day, which reduces their performance and alertness. In this article, we discuss the laws related to Brazilian professional drivers and their current amendments (No. 12,619/2012 and No. 13,103/2015) in relation to working hours at the wheel and rest breaks, which are vital for the quality of life of drivers and society in general. We note that the new law appears to be less efficient than the previous one as it causes insecurity and concern to the users of the transportation system, drivers, and employers. To restrict and reduce accidents, deaths, and injuries in traffic, appropriate legislation is essential, aiming at the safety of workers and users of highways. The law must also benefit the commercial aspect, strengthening the reduction in production and logistics losses. Additionally, traffic education programs are needed, as well as better supervision in relation to total working hours.
Highlights
Injuries and deaths from accidents on highways have become a global epidemic, especially in developing countries, such as Brazil
The purpose of this article is to discuss the amendment of the Law related to professional drivers, No 12,619 of Apr 30, 2012c, by Law No 13,103 of Mar 2, 2015d and the aspects related to sleep, working hours, and safety of drivers who drive on Brazilian highways
Another study has identified that 68.6% of truck drivers drive for more than 10 hours without a rest break and short sleep, 43.8% ingest alcohol, 18.3% snore, and 26.5% report prior accident caused by sleepiness at the wheel[5]
Summary
Injuries and deaths from accidents on highways have become a global epidemic, especially in developing countries, such as Brazil. In the United States, the rate of occurrence of fatal accidents caused by sleepy drivers was 21% between 2009 and and 2013a. In Brazil, the Federal Highway Police verified 168,593 accidents on Brazilian highways, amounting to 100,396 wounded and 8,227 dead persons in 2014. The lack of attention and sleepiness at the wheel caused 32.3% and 6% of the fatal accidentsb, respectively. Given these alarming data, it becomes important to know and understand the causes or risk factors related to these accidents. The purpose of this article is to discuss the amendment of the Law related to professional drivers, No 12,619 of Apr 30, 2012c, by Law No 13,103 of Mar 2, 2015d and the aspects related to sleep, working hours, and safety of drivers who drive on Brazilian highways
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