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Long-haul truck drivers are among the most exposed workers on any highway network, and fatigue remains one of their deadliest hazards. Studies of road crashes involving heavy vehicles suggest that drowsiness plays a role in a significant share of collisions, although the exact figure is hard to establish, since tired drivers who survive rarely admit to having dozed off.

The problem is rooted in the economics of freight. Many drivers are paid by the trip or by the kilometre rather than by the hour, which encourages them to cut rest stops short. Tight delivery windows set by shippers add further pressure. As a result, some drivers turn to stimulants to stay awake, a practice that may delay sleep but does not restore alertness.

Regulators have responded with rules limiting continuous driving time and requiring minimum rest periods. Electronic logging devices, which record when a vehicle is moving, have made these rules harder to dodge. However, enforcement depends on inspections, and secure parking areas where drivers can actually rest are still scarce along many routes.

Technology offers another line of defence. Some fleets now install in-cab cameras that track eye movements and sound an alarm when a driver's eyelids stay closed for too long. Supporters argue that such systems save lives; critics counter that constant monitoring erodes drivers' privacy and may shift responsibility from employers to individual workers.

A researcher who studies transport safety at a public university put it bluntly: no device can replace a good night's sleep. In her view, unless pay structures change, drivers will keep trading rest for income, and the roads will remain more dangerous than they need to be.