Tired truckers remain a highway safety problem not only to themselves but also to the motoring public. With driver fatigue a factor in about one in eight accidents involving large trucks, recommendations to minimize the risk of sleep-related crashes should get serious consideration.

The National Transportation Safety Board acknowledged that drivers are ultimately responsible for getting adequate rest as they complete their hauls, but it said trucking companies should work harder to enforce driver compliance. The agency also urged the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to step up enforcement oversight of trucking companies.

Moreover, the board called for aggressive research on technology that might help truck drivers stay alert and prevent fatigue-induced crashes altogether. Intriguing possibilities include a dashboard-mounted camera that tracks a driver's eye and eyelid movements and could warn a driver who appears to be nodding off.

NTSB investigators also debated the pros and cons of technology that detects when a vehicle is veering from its lane and alerts the driver. Another invention would automatically engage the truck's brakes.

The board's assessment was a response to an accident three years ago in Wisconsin where investigators concluded the truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and began to drift off the highway. When he swerved back onto the interstate, his rig overturned and a school bus carrying a high school band slammed into it, killing five people.

Sleep-deprived drivers operating trucks are a nightmare that must end.