|
|
|
Copyright: 1998 Larry Gillen/GILLENgineering Marengo, IN USA MOTORCYCLE RIDER FATIGUE SURVEY RESULTS Introduction Responses to Questions 1 - 9 Additional Comments by Respondents Fatigue Related Crashes & Near Misses Conclusions Final Comments Appendix A: Full Text of Survey Responses Appendix B: Fatigue and Sleep Web Sites Presented to the Joint Annual Conference: NATARI, NYSTARS, MATAI, NJAAR, NAPARS Waldorf, Maryland by Larry Gillen, P.E. GILLENgineering Motorcycle Rider Fatigue Survey Results
Introduction In July of 1998, an nine question survey was broadcast to three separate,
motorcycle rider related, internet email list servers. The questions all pertained
directly to motorcycle rider fatigue. The questions were designed to flow from the riders'
concept of fatigue, to rider preparation, to detection of fatigue, countermeasures and
when to stop riding. The respondents also answered questions regarding personal experience
with fatigue related accidents and near-misses. A request for additional comments was
included. Over the following two or three weeks, twelve individuals provided
responses to the survey. The responses came from riders who do normal touring/riding and
others who engage in long distance, endurance riding. BMW /5 list: for owner/riders of early '70s model BMWs Iron Butt Assoc. list: an endurance riders group
Long
Distance Rider's list: an endurance riders group The endurance riders were sought out for their unique perspective on fatigue, certainly
an obstacle deserving due consideration, given the nature of our hobby. Although this author has not previously been involved in any sanctioned long distance
riding, except the 1000 mile plus ride to this conference, there has been a history of
long distance driving and riding. As a boy and young man, I engaged in small grain farming on a large scale. Beginning at
the age of eight, long hours of tractor driving were quite normal for my peers and me. By
the age of 12, consecutive 14 to 18 hour days behind the wheel where not uncommon during
peak seasons. Some of these learned behaviors were transferred to motorcycles at the age of 21, when
I prepared for and successfully executed an 8,000 mile plus odyssey of the western United
States during the month of August, 1970. My average riding day covered 375 miles. My ride
was no Honda Goldwing either, rather a 350cc 2-stroke 2-cylinder Kawasaki - a little
around town putter, no fairing, no easy rider pegs, and a fuel range of 120 miles. More recently, on June 10th, 1998, I rode 875 miles on a Sunday, from
southern Indiana to Dallas, Texas. I picked up my nephew and rode with passenger for two
days returning. And on September 28, 1998, I rode more than 1100 miles in a 24 hour
period. The appropriate dated and time stamped fuel receipts were acquired to validate
this ride as a 1000 miles in one day (1000/1) and qualify me for inclusion on the Saddle
Sore 1000 list. Enough about my personal, hands on, orientation to driver/rider fatigue. Responses to Questions 1 - 9 This section condenses the 12 responses to each question in the survey. It is intended
to provide a brief consensus, where possible, of the information received. For the full
text of the responses, with only typographical editing, see Appendix A of this document. Question No. 1 How do you define "rider fatigue?" Rather than tell the respondents what rider fatigue is and then ask questions about it,
this survey adopted the more open approach of soliciting the definition from each
respondent. Hopefully, it provides insights regarding fatigue from the perspective of
motorcyclists. The following are the key phrases common to several of the responses: inability to concentrate feel like falling asleep requires conscious effort to remain alert physical and mental impairment diminished awareness delayed reaction time adversely affect my riding abilities lack of focus being tired The spectrum of the responses seems to have the following two ends. One is associated
with the onset of fatigue and described generally as reduced awareness. The other end of
the spectrum goes to the catastrophic results of fatigue, such as, feeling like falling
asleep. This spectrum would seem to correlate well with two of the commonly used test
criterial for fatigue: steering patterns tests indicate reduced awareness of the driving
task and head nodding tests indicate the onset of sleep at the wheel. Question No. 2 What techniques/actions do you use, prior to getting on the bike, to ward off
fatigue? Key phrases found in the responses: sufficient sleep and adequate rest proper hydration reduce noise-induced fatigue with earplugs take multivitamins light meals stretching comfortable,
weather-sensitive clothing Several individuals offered unique responses. One respondent avoids caffeine and
another says not to fool yourself with stimulants. Another insists on clean face shields
due to information from a state trooper that a dirty windshield is the biggest cause of
eye fatigue in drivers. One very interesting response worthy of quoting, "Be happy. Seriously. A positive
frame of mind seems to work wonders for my ability to ride without mental fatigue."
For motorcyclists, mental fatigue may be a much bigger factor than physical fatigue, with
the exceptions of endurance riding and competition or high-end sport riding. Question No. 3 What clues do you use to identify fatigue while riding? Key phrases found in the responses: inability to focus yawning loss of concentration impaired judgement poor memory of recent events slowing reaction times droopy eyelids tight muscles daydreaming Physical symptoms are prevalent here. Reduced visual function along with tight muscles
and yawning are very recurrent signals of fatigue. One response targets "reduced
depth perception." These physical symptoms may correspond to the extreme end of the
spectrum in the responses to the definition of fatigue, that is, falling asleep. On the
milder, onset end of the fatigue spectrum, we might be seeing some association with the
loss of concentration, erratic memory and daydreaming. Our vision systems play a huge role in motorcycle riding. If our only functioning
sensory system was vision, we could manage to ride a motorcycle reasonably well. The
perception of loss of visual function is extremely threatening. One respondent coins a term "headshake," which "occurs when you need to
shake your head to gather focus. My rule is, 'One headshake and I'm off the bike for at
least an hour.'" Another response identifies a progression of symptoms, from "stiffening neck
muscles, slowing reaction times, yawning, droopy eyelids, seeing alligators carrying
Norman Mailer dolls." The final comment should be considered in jest only. Question No. 4 What techniques/actions do you use to overcome fatigue, once identified? Key phrases found in the responses: sing songs and talk to myself stand up or do knee bends while riding more air by breathing or opening helmet visor stop, stretch and jump around nap, power nap, sleep light food, drink caffeine mental exercise,
like calculate fuel mileage An obvious progression is evident here. Some respondents choose on-bike activities like
singing, isometrics, some limited body movement, increased air supply or getting more
comfortable. The next step is a brief stop for some food, drink and exercise/stretching.
Then some of the riders use a short power nap to change their state of consciousness. This
may overcome some aspects of mental fatigue and release body tension. Beyond these
techniques, most respondents rely on sleep for one to two hours or longer. This latter
action is an attempt to overcome fatigue created by "sleep loss" or "sleep
debt." Remember, the ultimate demand for sleep cannot be satisfied or overcome by any amount
of fear, reward or desire. One individual commented on the use of Altoids peppermint lozenges. Some research has
shown peppermint to be effective at maintaining alertness. As described in Altoids's
packaging, "Altoids...are many times stronger than ordinary mints. Their curious
strength comes from the generous use of real peppermint oil..." Another respondent speculates riding inside a full face helmet with the shield closed
may decrease oxygen intake because the rider is partially breathing their exhaled air.
This decreased oxygen level may contribute to fatigue, over time. This is a variable easy
to test with a portable physiological monitor. Yet another respondent is refreshed by removing their boots and socks and doing
barefoot exercises when they stop. Staying alert appears to have an individual side. Question No. 5 What factors would lead to a decision to pull off the road? Key phrases found in the responses: eyes closing and droopy eyes nodding off and scaring myself loss of concentration and mental focus when efforts to recover alertness have failed inability to drive
smoothly and steadily There is not as much variability among these responses. The range includes loss of
focus, but most riders pull off the road when clear signs of impending sleepiness appear. Due to awareness of their own circadian rhythm, some respondents do not ride between
2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Question No. 6 How far do you ride before fatigue is normally identified? Key phrases found in the responses: monitor time rather than distance depends greatly on rest and activity prior to riding late afternoon
brings fatigue Most respondents are more sensitive to time rather than distance. Early fatigue was
identified at 10 to 17 hours. More severe signs were showing up at 16 to 21 hours. One
respondent stated, "...36 hours without sleep borders the edge for me." Another
indicates "After a full night's sleep, 24 hours is not a problem." Again, there is wide variability here. Keep in mind this group of respondents includes
several endurance riders, thus does not reflect the motorcycle riding community as a
whole, particularly on this question. Question No. 7 How effective are the techniques you use to overcome early fatigue (i.e., how
far do you ride utilizing those techniques)? This question was poorly worded. Some respondents read it as intended, that is, how far
do you ride after first noticing fatigue. Three responded similarly to question number 6,
how far do you ride from the beginning of the trip to the place where you must stop due to
fatigue. Five respondents indicated a range of 15 minutes to one and one-half hours of
additional riding before stopping. Most considered one-half hour to one hour additional
riding time was expected using their personal techniques for maintaining alertness. Question No. 8 Do you find fatigue to be more of a problem when riding behind a fairing, or
nekkid? Nekkid (read naked) is motorcyclist slang for a motorcycle without any mounted
windscreen of any type. This question begs a common motorcyclists' bias. Endurance riders generally prefer a
fairing. Although, there are techniques which can be used with naked bikes which arguably
result in less fatigue than using some fairings. Four respondents never use a fairing and one has never ridden without one. Of the remaining seven, one clearly is less fatigued on a naked bike and two are less
fatigued on a bike with a fairing. Of the remaining four, there are more varied comments. For instance, physical fatigue
is more a problem on a naked bike while mental fatigue is more of a problem on a bike with
a fairing. Or, when exposed (naked) fatigue occurs quickly in the cold. In the heat,
fatigue occurs more quickly behind a fairing. One respondent notes, "On many fairings
the increased turbulence can add more to fatigue than sitting in "clean"
wind." One conclusion we can draw from these responses is that there is not an obvious or
unanimous choice. There are those who find merit in both configurations. Question No. 9 Have you ever had training re: motorcycle rider fatigue? Of ten riders responding to this question, seven give a definite "no" as
their response. One, apparently an endurance rider, references information received from
the Long Distance Riders' email list serve and the Iron Butt Association's "Archive
of Wisdom." (The URL for the Iron Butt Association's web site is included in Appendix
B) Another references discussion with other riders. Another feels fatigue to be such an
individual phenomenon he is capable of learning about it all on his own. What is clear, none of the respondents have experienced anything approximating formal
training. Additional Comments
A high degree of individual differences regarding fatigue cause another respondent to
think this is a difficult subject to define. The available literature on the web tends to
confirm this view. Concern about short term attention deficits is also commented on. This rider proposes
fatigue can occur without traveling very far. The basic nature of sleep loss, sleep debt
and circadian rhythm disruption provide mechanisms conducive to short term attention
deficits. Fatigue Related Crashes and Near Misses None of the respondents have experienced a fatigue related crash on a motorcycle. One
has experienced such a crash in a car. The details of this passenger car experience can be
found in Appendix A. Three of the twelve respondents report at least one instance of "nodding off"
while riding. Other personal accounts of "nodding off" have been related to this
author verbally. The following are summaries of their accounts . Rider 1. While solo on interstate on a clear day during mid afternoon, this rider "Got
distracted at speed, almost ran into next lane and into/under semi in next lane." He
had traveled about 100 miles during the last hour and a half and had a turkey sub sandwich
for lunch about two hours before the incident occurred. He had taken "Ibuprofen. And
lots it." He is now reasonably convinced Ibuprofen contributes to his fatigue
symptoms. Several of these conditions are problematic for alert riding. Mid afternoon begins the
circadian rhythm for lowered alertness in most humans. Turkey is one of three foods known
to induce drowsiness. The other two are milk and bananas. Ibuprofen has many possible side
effects, and although drowsiness per se is not one of them, lightheadedness and dizziness
are possibilities. This example shows the sensitivity of the body to combined fatigue generating
mechanisms. Rider 2 "I've nearly given myself a heart attack by waking up while riding on one occasion. That's all it took for me to lay down the 'one headshake' rule." A "headshake" is an action this rider takes when feeling loss of focus while riding. He uses it to reorient his vision and briefly regain alertness. Rider 3 While riding solo at highway speed in the middle of a cool, dry night following 18 to
20 hours riding "excessive distances," this rider "started to nod and
looked up to see that I was a significant ways down the road and about to run into the
ditch (not a very friendly looking ditch)." He had eaten something recently and is
reasonably sure he had been on the road for 30 to 60 minutes since the last stop. Just
prior to the near miss incident, he had been nodding and very tired - "unable to
concentrate on riding." There were no medications involved during the prior 24 hour
period.
Conclusions
The responses indicate, as suggested by one rider, fatigue and its countermeasures vary
considerably from individual to individual. Knowledge of fatigue and its countermeasures is relatively unavailable within the
motorcycling community. Organizations associated with endurance riding offer the only
helpful information on this topic. This survey indicates people rely primarily on their
own experiences and some limited discussion with other riders for their orientation to
remaining alert while riding. Final Comments from the Author There may be fatigue related concerns unique to motorcyclists. For instance, does a
full face helmet significantly limit a rider's oxygen supply over long durations? Are
motorcyclists more or less affected by fatigue than passenger car or truck drivers? Do the
previously verified indicators of fatigue and drowsiness for other motorists apply to
motorcycle riding? Do engine and wind noise play a role in rider fatigue, and if so, to
what extent? Does machine vibration play a role in rider fatigue, and if so, to what
extent? These possible unique concerns deserve consideration, especially, in light of the
growing popularity of motorcycles for sport and leisure among an aging society. But of
more urgent need, is the dissemination of existing information related to fatigue and its
countermeasures to the motorcycling community. Appendix A The survey provided to the three email list servers contained the following questions.
After each question are the verbatim responses received. To improve clarity and
consistency, typographical editing, including spelling, punctuation and capitalization,
has been applied to the responses. 1 How do you define "rider fatigue?" Physical or mental impairment, plain and simple (i.e., physical or mental
fatigue). 2 What techniques/actions do you use, prior to getting on the bike, to ward off
fatigue? I think it's important to get as much oxygen into the bloodstream as
possible when fatigue begins to set in. I breathe deeply and
vigorously until
I'm just to the point of dizziness. Exercises are also important: neck & shoulder
rolls, windmills,
stretches.
Finally, because fatigue can set in as a result of weather discomfort I think it's
important to dress for the
ride. I stay cool
when it's warm with a "cool-tie" and use an electric vest when it's chilly.
Electric vests are the best
possible fatigue
prevention when the temperature starts to drop because they keep warm blood pumping to the
extremities.
This prevents the reaction delay associated with numbing hands or fingers. 3 What clues do you use to identify fatigue while riding? Heavy eyes, loss of mental focus, inability to maintain a line, poor
reaction time, or impaired judgement. Note: impaired
judgement can
cause itself to not be detected. Boredom and tiredness. 4 What techniques/actions do you use to overcome fatigue, once identified?
Depends on the degree, I first try to improve comfort: If hot I try to cool.
If cold, I try to warm. If sore, I stretch. Next is food
and Hydration. If
these don't help, or fatigue is advanced, I stop and rest. 5 What factors would lead to a decision to pull off the road? Heavy eyes, loss of mental focus, inability to maintain a line, poor
reaction time, or impaired judgement. Also LEO's with lights
ablaze waving me
over! 6 How far do you ride before fatigue is normally identified? 7 How effective are the techniques you use to overcome early fatigue (i.e., how
far do you ride utilizing those techniques?)? Again it depends on the degree of fatigue and the riding circumstances.
Heavy eyes or inability to hold a line will only be
maintained to the
nearest exit. If none exists within 20 minutes, other places to rest will be considered. I
believe at this
point the risk of
getting mugged is less than that of remaining on the road. 8 Do you find fatigue to be more of a problem when riding behind a fairing, or
nekkid? I do not use a fairing in order to wear adequate safety gear while still
avoiding hyperthermia. In the winter I dress sufficiently
warm that I'd
roast behind a fairing. 9 Have you ever had training re: motorcycle rider fatigue? Only via information gleaned from the LDrider list and the Iron Butt
"Archive of Wisdom" Additional Comments: I generally would say that fatigue is a bigger problem in cars. I know of several cases where some friends fell asleep while driving their car, and only one guy who crashed because he fell asleep on his moto guzzi. But then, I know more cage driver than motorcyclists :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I'm very interested in the results of this survey. I find fatigue to be a difficult subject to pin down as it seems to have a high degree of individual differences. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It may be worth saying that a lot of folks get fatigue without traveling very far--I think it can be brought on even in the short term by folks who consume too much caffeine, who don't maintain proper awareness (we all know guys who just assume the world watches out for them) and who try to push farther-faster without breaks. I have had friends get road-dazed driving from DC to Blacksburg, VA, which is only a 3-hour trip on 81; why? They stoked on no-doz and we left at 11:30 at night after getting sunburned all afternoon--stoopid. Hope your study addresses short-term attention- deficits! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I can ride a bike farther than a car without getting tired, but it's automatic on most
afternoons. The following information is taken from personal accounts of fatigue related crashes and near misses. Fatigue Related Crashes
Only in a car, but it might help to lay it out below. 2 a.m., Capital Beltway D.C., 65 mph southbound. What do you recall prior to the crash? Being in the middle of three lanes. Prior food/drink, and when. no--maybe a Jolt cola How far had you gone since the last stop? 75 miles or so. What are the details of the crash sequence? I woke up with two righthand wheels climing the slanted guard-barrier, jerked the wheel gently down, lost the front tire completely and skidded to a stop. Medicines and/or behavioral traits? Just too many miles, and possibly too much of my asthma medication due to Rugby game. Were you on any medications (prescription or otherwise) at the time or 24 hours prior to the time of the accident? Asthma medication. Fatigue Related Near Misses
Rider 1. Conditions: Solo, interstate road, clear day, mid afternoon. Prior food/drink, and when. Lunch about 2 hours earlier (turkey sub). CamelBak used regularly during ride. How far had you gone since the last stop? 100 miles - 1 1/2 hours What are the details of the near-miss sequence? Got distracted at speed, almost ran into next lane and into/under semi in next lane. :-( Medicines and/or behavioral traits? No. Were you on any medications (prescription or otherwise) at the time or 24 hours prior to the time of the accident? Ibuprofen. Lots of it. I now regulate my intake more regularly, as I am reasonably
convinced that it heightens my fatigue symptoms. I may be wrong, but ya never know... :-) No. I've been lucky. I've nearly given myself a heart attack by waking up while riding
on one occasion. That's all it took for me to lay down the "one headshake" rule.
Conditions: Middle of the night, having ridden excessive distances during the preceding 18 to 20 hours. Riding by myself, cool, no rain. Prior food/drink, and when. I'm sure that I had eaten something fairly recently. How far had you gone since the last stop? I can't remember for sure but I think I'd been on the road for 30 minute to 1 hour since the last stop. What are the details of the near-miss sequence? Just prior to the near miss I was nodding and very tired. I was unable to concentrate on riding. I was at highway speed, starting to nod and looked up to see that I was a significant ways down the road and about to run into the ditch (not a very friendly looking ditch) Medicines and/or behavioral traits? None. Were you on any medications (prescription or otherwise) at the time or 24 hours prior to the time of the accident? None. Appendix B The following web sites offer information related to fatigue, its countermeasures and
sleep. There is abundant fatigue related information found in many of the sleep web sites.
This is probably the premier web site for fatigue. It features the Fatigue Countermeasures Program. It also provides access to the Fatigue Resources Directory, which can be entered directly at http://www-afo.arc.nasa.gov/zteam/fredi/fatg.trans.html This is a Resource for Managing Fatigue in Transportation. It has links to the following six chapters: 1. Fatigue in Transportation 2. Countermeasures 3. Government Activities 4. Industry Activities 5. Public Interest Groups 6. Scientific Information Here you will find 28 tips for endurance riding, several of which deal with aspects of
fatigue. This is a page on the California Department of Motor Vehicles web site. It is titled,
"If You Are Tired or Sleepy, Driving is NOT Recommended." It discusses Common
Situations, Myths, Signs of Sleepiness and other fatigue related issues, like sleep
disorders. Federal Office of Road Safety - Contract Report 72 This report addresses the topic of
driver fatigue, an issue which is receiving increasing attention in the road safety field.
A range of subject areas is reviewed in detail, including concepts and theories directly
related to fatigue, the measurement of fatigue, factors contributing to the onset and
development of fatigue, the degree to which fatigue is associated with road crashes,
countermeasures having potential for offsetting the degrading effects of fatigue on
safety, and an identification of research issues having promise for reducing the role of
fatigue in crashes. REPORT 1 OF THE COUNCIL ON SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS (A-96) titled Fatigue, Sleep Disorders,
and Motor Vehicle Crashes This report discusses the nature of sleep and fatigue, possible
health implications, available data on US highway crashes due to sleep disorders and
driver fatigue, current research initiatives on motor vehicle safety and fatigue, federal
regulations for truck drivers, and the utilization of E-codes to improve surveillance of
crash injuries. Sleep This is the Sleep Home Page. It has great links to sleep related sites. This is the Sleep Medicine Home Page. This home page lists resources regarding all aspects of sleep including, the physiology of sleep, clinical sleep medicine, sleep research, federal and state information, patient information, and business-related
groups. The American Sleep Disorders Association is a clearing house and accreditation bureau
for professional work in the field. Their web site includes many links, both professional
and public oriented. There is a page http://www.asda.org/centers.htm. Here you will
find a list of Accredited Sleep Disorders Centers, listed by state. A sleep disorders
center is a medical facility providing clinical diagnostic services and treatment to
patients who present with symptoms or features that suggest the presence of a sleep
disorder. A laboratory for sleep-related breathing disorders provides diagnostic and
treatment services limited to sleep-related breathing disorders, such as obstructive sleep
apnea syndrome. This site asks the question, how sleepy are you? How likely are you to doze off or fall
asleep in the following situations, in contrast to feeling just tired? This refers to your
usual way of life in recent times. Even if you have not done some of these things recently
try to work out how they would have affected you. Use the following scale to choose the
most appropriate number for each situation: William Dement, MD, PhD, heads up the Stanford University sleep study program,
apparently a premier center for such efforts. This document describes some of the key
facts about sleep, biological rhythms, and sleep deprivation that should be well known to
every Stanford student as well as everyone everywhere. It is a business site with Self-guided Tutorials on Circadian Rhythms, the Biological
Clock, Alertness, and Sleep. There are several interesting pages at this site? For
instance, at http://www.circadian.com/lark_owl_test_text.htm you can take a test to
determine if you are an early morning person (lark) or a late night person (owl). There
are also pages about fatigue and microsleeps, among others. http://www.nshsleep.com/test.cfm This site has a test you can take online to evaluate your propensity for sleep
disorders. http://www.sleepnet.com One of SleepNet's goals is to link all the sleep information located on the internet. As new sites become available they will be linked here.
Copyright: 1998 Larry Gillen/GILLENgineering Marengo, IN USA Back to TopLast modified: August 19, 2002 |