I think pilots should make every effort to manage their down time in order to be well rested, but if you haven't managed it (wife, kids, bank manager, next door neighbours etc etc etc), how is it recieved by the company if you call unfit for duty?
Framer, I think that's the point. Flight & Duty time limits appear to have absolutely no scientific basis to their construction & they assume the "perfect pilot" who can immediately walk in the door, hang up the uniform & gain 8 hours sleep & then be ready for duty.
However the real world is completely different. FRMS is now a "shared responsibility", where pilots
may not have input into pattern & roster construction to minimise fatigue, yet have a joint responsibility to
NOT operate when they may be fatigued. This sound like a whole heap of ass covering by management for "business as usual" until something goes wrong, because the ultimate responsibility rests with the pilot.
Shared responsibility is going to require shared input. Until that moment arrives it is just lip service. In answer to your question, fatigue is still a huge problem for this industry. As it currently stands, FRMS is a big free pass to management. When ever you allow someone to avoid losses, yet take claim the profit, ultimately they will abused it to (save)make a buck.