Driving while tired or fatigued
Driving for extended periods of time without a break increases the risk of incidents related to fatigue. Research has shown that fatigue can have a similar effect on your driving performance as being intoxicated, and that fatigue is one of the biggest killers on Australian roads.
Fatigue Management Policy
To help you comply with your safety obligations, the Uber app keeps you aware of how many hours you’ve spent online.
Remember, driver-partners have a legal obligation to ensure that they do not drive while fatigued. This is your personal responsibility, and you should find this feature useful to help you comply with these obligations.
How does the Fatigue Management Policy operate?
- Driver-partners in Australia who go online for a cumulative 12 hours must take a continuous 8 hour break (“driving hour limit”)
- If the driving hour limit is reached for 12 days in a row, the driver-partner will be taken offline for 24 hours
- If a driver-partner completes at least one trip per day for 28 days in a row, they will be taken offline for 24 hours
Fatigue Management Policy FAQs
- Why does the Uber app take me offline for an 8 hour break?
Driving while fatigued poses a serious safety risk to you, your riders, and all road users. Driver-partners also have a legal obligation to effectively manage their fatigue at all times.
- What counts towards 12 hours?
The entire time between going online, through to the time you go offline, will be counted as time towards the Fatigue Management Policy. Time counted will include:
- Time en-route and time on-trip.
- Time driving between trips.
- Time spent stationary, for example waiting in an airport queue.
- When will the 12 hours of online time reset?
To reset your 12 hours of cumulative online time you will need to take an uninterrupted break by going offline for 8 hours. Any break shorter than this will not contribute toward resetting your counter.
- How will I know when I reach 12 hours?
You can monitor the time you have been online in your Uber Driver app in your Trip Planner by tapping ‘See driving time’. This will tell you the total amount of time you have been online for.
You will be notified when you are approaching 12 hours of online time at 2 hours, 1 hour, and half an hour prior to the app taking you offline for an 8 hour break. If you are on-trip when you hit your 12th hour of being online, you will be able to complete your trip before being taken offline for 8 hours.
- Will my app reset after a 24 hour period?
No. If you reach 12 cumulative hours of online time without taking an uninterrupted 8 hour break, the app will take you offline for 8 hours.
- What if I drive on Uber Eats?
All time driving with the Uber app is included.
- Examples of how the Fatigue Management Policy works in practice
Example 1
- A driver goes online at 12pm and drives for 4 hours.
- They then take a 1 hour break for an early dinner by going offline from 4pm to 5pm.
- They then stay online from 5pm to 1am, at which point they will have been online for a total of 12 cumulative hours without having had an 8 hour uninterrupted break.
- The app will take the driver offline for 8 hours. The driver will be able to go back online at 9am.
Example 2
- A driver goes online at 12pm and drives for 4 hours.
- Half an hour of this included waiting in the Sydney Airport queue.
- They then take a 6 hour break by going offline between 4pm and 10pm.
- They then go back online from 10pm to 6am, at which point they will have been online for a total of 12 cumulative hours without having had an 8 hour uninterrupted break.
- The app will take the driver offline for 8 hours. The driver will be able to go back online at 2pm.
Fatigue FAQs
- What are some common signs of fatigue?
Some of the common signs of fatigue include:
- Excessive yawning
- Heavy eyes or excessive blinking
- Stiffness or cramps
- Wandering thoughts
Fatigue negatively affects your driving by causing slower reaction times, lack of concentration, and poor judgment, which can all lead to increased chances of having a crash.
- How can I manage fatigue?
As stated in our Community Guidelines, sleep is the only true preventative measure against the risk of fatigue. You can help manage your fatigue by getting enough sleep before driving.
It’s also worth taking regular breaks, and actively checking for signs of tiredness. It can also be a good idea to check yourself prior to going online for signs of fatigue.
Take the test now: https://testyourtiredself.com.au/
Posted by the Uber team
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