A Recent Systematic Review of Micro-Sleep in Road Haulage Operations: Detection and Classification

Microsleep involuntary lapses in consciousness pose a major safety threat in road haulage, particularly among professional truck drivers exposed to extended driving hours, irregular shifts, and sleep deprivation. This systematic literature review synthesizes evidence on the causes, detection methods, safety consequences, and mitigation strategies related to microsleep in heavy vehicle operations. A structured search of Scopus and Science Directs identified 189 records, of which 38 studies met PRISMA-based eligibility criteria. Results show that microsleep risk arises from interacting physiological, psychological, occupational, and environmental factors, with strong links to sleep restriction, circadian disruption, and night driving. Detection research highlights three dominant approaches: physiological monitoring such as EEG, behavioural and vision-based systems, and hybrid multimodal models integrating driver and vehicle data using machine learning. Hybrid systems demonstrate superior robustness and real-time detection performance. Despite technological advances, implementation barriers include privacy concerns, intrusiveness, limited real-world validation, and driver acceptance. The review emphasizes the need for integrated strategies combining advanced monitoring technologies, fatigue risk management programs, sleep-focused interventions, and supportive policy frameworks to reduce microsleep-related incidents and enhance road transport safety. Keywords: Provide at least FIVE (5) keywords. Keywords are your own designated keywords which can be used for easy location of the manuscript using any search engines.

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