Comparing the effects of fatigue and alcohol consumption on locomotive engineers' performance in a rail simulator

Laboratory studies have established that the performance impairments due to fatigue and alcohol consumption are quantitatively similar. However, the generalisability of this phenomenon is not clear because comparisons have not been made in realistic work settings with experienced shiftworkers. The aim of the current study was to quantify the effects of fatigue on performance in a simulated work environment (i.e. rail simulator) and compare them with the effects of alcohol consumption. It was hypothesised that fatigue would significantly impair driving performance, and that this impairment would be quantitatively similar to that associated with moderate levels of alcohol consumption. Twenty locomotive engineers participated in the study with a randomised cross-over design and three conditions: baseline, fatigue, and alcohol. During each 8-hour condition, participants completed four driving sessions in the rail simulator. The results indicate that fatigue caused participants to disengage from operating the simulator such that safety was traded off, not necessarily deliberately, against efficiency. The impairment in safety due to fatigue was in a range similar to the impairment associated with moderate levels of alcohol consumption. In summary, the study demonstrated that the effects of fatigue in a simulated work environment can be quantified and may be considerable.