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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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 Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 6:20 am Post subject: Drowsy cab drivers |
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http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2010/11/180_69764.html
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07-19-2010 19:20 여성 음성 듣기 남성 음성 듣기
Overworked, drowsy cab drivers pose danger
By Lee Tae-hoon
Staff reporter
With his eyes bloodshot and limbs sagging, Hwang Jin-ho (an alias) maneuvered a taxi through Busan�s heavily trafficked roads on a cloudy afternoon, July 5, just until he nodded off at the wheel near an intersection in the port city.
As heavy eyelids blurred his vision, Hwang crossed over the center line and hit a bus coming from the opposite side, badly injuring himself and wounding a dozen passengers.
Drowsy driving, which is directly linked with long hours behind the wheel, has become an epidemic among cab drivers. And it is now widely recognized as the main cause of accidents in the transport industry, experts and industry insiders say.
They point out that in most cities outside Seoul, such as Busan, Daegu and Guri, more than 80 percent of taxi companies ask their employees to work on a 24 hour-shift, including Hwang�s.
�In cities, such as Hongcheon in Gangwon Province, all taxi companies have adopted a 24 hour-shift system. Thus, taxi drivers, have no choice, but to put their lives at risk,� Kang Sang-wook, a senior researcher at the Korea Transport Institute told The Korea Times.
Kang, who has led studies on taxi safety at the state-run think tank since 2003, estimates that some 70 percent of taxi drivers across the country, excluding owner operators, are forced to stay on the road for the dangerously long hours in a desperate attempt to make ends meet.
Concerns over G20 Summit
Previously, the government cracked down on the deadly 24 hour-work shift ahead of hosting the two major international events ― the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Olympics ― and saw considerable success, the industry insiders said.
They, however, point out that it has failed to address the issue since then, despite its hosting of the G20 Seoul Summit, which is slated for November and will bring numerous world leaders and top officials here.
�In the late 1980s, the number of drivers per taxi went up to 2.2, the minimum ratio required for a company to run 12 hour shifts,� Kang said, claiming that 2.5 is the ideal proportion to ensure drivers have at least one day off per week.
�While the percentage of taxis sitting idly in the parking lot due to a lack of drivers remains unchanged, the number of drivers per taxi has plummeted to 1.4,� Kang said. He underlined that it can be deduced that at least 70 percent of the drivers are working on 24-hour shifts from the figure alone.
Why 24-hour shifts?
He attributes the greed of taxi companies and low income of drivers for such a long work schedule.
�Taxi companies can save a considerable amount on administrative costs and expenditure for the daily maintenance and repairs of their vehicles by slashing the number of employees,� Kang said.
�As drivers feel the pinch of the economic downturn, many also prefer a longer shift in a desperate bid to bring home a few more bucks at the end of the day.�
Ki Woo-seok, director of the Korean Transport Workers� Union, is also gravely concerned about the rampant 24-hour shift system, which has begun to take root in Seoul as well.
He believes more than 40 percent of leased taxis in the capital operate on 24 hour shifts, with the national average reaching as high as 80 percent.
�The so-called one driver per taxi system is pervasive and spreading fast in Seoul, forcing them to work more than 300 hours a month,� Ki said.
Citing the union�s 2008 survey, he said drivers employed in major cities on a 24-hour shift drove on average 20.4 hours per each working day, while those working in smaller towns drove roughly 21.3 hours a day.
Risk of drowsy driving
According to a recent report by the U.S. States Department of Transportation, the risk of a fatigue-related crash among commercial drivers goes up so sharply after 10 hours of driving, and that there is a fifteen-fold increase in the risk of a fatigue-related crash among commercial vehicle operators working more than 13 hours.
Several studies at home and abroad also show that the impairment of reaction time induced by sleep deprivation is comparable to that caused by alcohol.
They find that 24 hours of sleep deprivation is equivalent to a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.10 percentage points, which would result in an immediate cancellation of the driver�s license.
Those awake for 18 hours also had a BAC of 0.08 percentage points, 0.3 percentage points higher than the threshold considered legally intoxicated and would lead to a 100-day suspension of the license and a fine of less than one million won ($830).
�A lack of sleep impairs the ability to identify objects and slows down our body�s response to them,� Lee Eun-seok, an ophthalmologist at the Severance Hospital, Seoul, said.
The latest analysis by the National Police Agency found that drowsy driving has been the single biggest cause of crashes on the highway, accounting for more than 27 percent over the past three years.
The report also revealed that the chance of taxi drivers having a traffic accident due to drowsy driving on the freeway was seven times higher than that of non-commercial vehicles, clear evidence that highlights the danger of the 24-hour shift.
Company-owned taxis
About 26 percent of company-owned taxis are in accidents annually, a figure which is 30 times higher than that of non-commercial vehicles and seven times higher than of privately-owned taxis, according to the National Police Agency.
Of 91,721 lease taxis, 23,871 of them were involved in traffic accidents in 2008, taking the lives of 233 people and injuring 37,021.
In contrast, of 160,494 owner operated taxis, only 5,721 traffic accidents were reported with a much smaller death toll of 86 and 8,477 injuries.
The one-driver/one-taxi policy within companies also poses a great health risk to drivers. A court ruled in 2006 that the 24-hour system was directly linked to a taxi driver having a stroke as he was under excessive psychosocial and physical stress due to the long shifts. The driver claimed that he worked more than 21 hours a day, taking a break only when he had to eat.
84% concerned about drowsy driving
A study of 224 taxi drivers working in Seoul and its neighboring cities found that 188, or 83.9 percent had been deeply concerned about the possibility of causing an accident due to drowsy driving.
In fact, 117, or 52.2 percent, answered that they had already had at least one traffic accident due to sleep driving.
Only eight respondents, or 3.6 percent, were unconcerned of the sleep deficit, while 38, or 17 percent, answered that they sleep six hours or less a day.
It also found that more than 96 drivers, or 42.8 percent, had obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, while 103, or 45.9 percent, experienced fatigue symptoms even after waking up from a long sleep.
Legal loopholes
Despite the International Labor Organization�s recommendation to limit working hours of commercial vehicles to 48 hours a week and guarantee a minimum of 10 hours of rest to them each day, there has been no sign of curbing the rampant 24 hour-shift system.
A taxi driver, who asked to be named only as Kim, has filed a complaint against his company in Bucheon, for giving him no option but to work a 24 hour-shift with the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs and the city government.
However, the ministry told him that the long working hour system does not violate the Labor Law because the transportation industry is one of the few industries along with film making and insurance sales, which can ask the employees to work for more than 12 hours overtime each week, upon the consent of the union.
The city government also told Kim that his case would likely be dismissed because such a practice is difficult to avoid in Bucheon, where all taxi companies are known to operate on a 24-hour shift system and suffers from a dire shortage of drivers.
A taxi union member in South Chuncheong Province, also staged a rally early this year to protest the wide spreading 24-hour shifts and the authorities� lack of willingness to crack down on it.
He asked how many cases of the one-driver/one-taxi practice have been found in Cheonan last year, but the city replied to him none, though seven of the nine taxi companies allegedly operated on 24-hour shift systems, while the others asked some of its drivers to work full-days.
�The government must immediately take action to protect the safety of its citizens and completely root out the one-driver/one-taxi system, which are killing many innocent taxi drivers and civilians,� Park Jong-hwang, director of the Taxi Union of South Chuncheong Province, said.
Experts say drowsiness and driver fatigue are increasingly viewed as a criminal offense in courtrooms across the world and Korean courts should follow in their footsteps. In New Jersey, injury caused by a crash involving fatigue is now a felony.
In Korea, Rep. Shin Hak-yong of the main opposition Democratic Party proposed a bill in March that would penalize both the taxi company and driver if the latter is found to be involved in a crash due to drowsy driving.
�I believe the 24-hour shift should be banned and it is important to raise awareness about the seriousness of the sleep-deprived driving among taxi drivers,� the lawmaker said.
The bill has yet to be deliberated in the National Assembly.
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Kimchifart
Joined: 15 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 7:39 am Post subject: |
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| Ludicrous. |
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nfld_chingu
Joined: 29 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 7:43 am Post subject: |
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| I've never noticed any taxi drivers being drowsy ... most of them seem quite alert and talkative when I'm in their cars. |
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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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| Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 1:35 pm Post subject: |
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A taxi driver, who asked to be named only as Kim, has filed a complaint against his company in Bucheon, for giving him no option but to work a 24 hour-shift with the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs and the city government.
However, the ministry told him that the long working hour system does not violate the Labor Law because the transportation industry is one of the few industries along with film making and insurance sales, which can ask the employees to work for more than 12 hours overtime each week, upon the consent of the union.
The city government also told Kim that his case would likely be dismissed because such a practice is difficult to avoid in Bucheon, where all taxi companies are known to operate on a 24-hour shift system and suffers from a dire shortage of drivers.
A taxi union member in South Chuncheong Province, also staged a rally early this year to protest the wide spreading 24-hour shifts and the authorities� lack of willingness to crack down on it.
He asked how many cases of the one-driver/one-taxi practice have been found in Cheonan last year, but the city replied to him none, though seven of the nine taxi companies allegedly operated on 24-hour shift systems, while the others asked some of its drivers to work full-days.
�The government must immediately take action to protect the safety of its citizens and completely root out the one-driver/one-taxi system, which are killing many innocent taxi drivers and civilians,� Park Jong-hwang, director of the Taxi Union of South Chuncheong Province, said.
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Very scary! |
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lakeshow
Joined: 02 Nov 2010
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| Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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| nfld_chingu wrote: |
| I've never noticed any taxi drivers being drowsy ... most of them seem quite alert and talkative when I'm in their cars. |
Try getting a taxi around 2-3 am, or right before they're supposed to end their shifts. I've had about 3 drivers nod-off and/or actually fall asleep while at a red-light stop. |
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jonpurdy
Joined: 08 Jan 2009
Location: Ulsan
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| Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 7:48 pm Post subject: |
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I've never really noticed a drowsy driver either. Though the ones that talk to me would tend to be the ones who are not drowsy.
Slightly OT, but I find the best drivers are the female drivers around 6am. They seem quite alert, drive safely, and are totally polite and everything. |
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Oatmeal Prince
Joined: 11 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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| jonpurdy wrote: |
I've never really noticed a drowsy driver either. Though the ones that talk to me would tend to be the ones who are not drowsy.
Slightly OT, but I find the best drivers are the female drivers around 6am. They seem quite alert, drive safely, and are totally polite and everything. |
Female taxi drivers are always a pleasant surprise. I've never had one rude or obnoxious one. |
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Epik_Teacher
Joined: 28 Apr 2010
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| Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 9:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Bus drivers seem to get paid by the number of G's they pull or the number of cars they cut off. They sure the hell don't seem to be paid by the hour or salaried! |
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