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 Millions of U.S. drivers fall asleep at the wheel each month, and
roughly 15 percent of all fatal crashes involve a drowsy driver,
researchers note in the journal Sleep.
“Drowsy driving is not just falling asleep at the wheel; it mimics
alcohol-impaired driving in many ways,” said lead study author
Stephen Higgins, a researcher at the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration in Washington, D.C.
“Drowsiness leads to slower reaction times and impaired attention,
mental processing, judgment, and decision making,” Higgins added by
email.
Getting enough sleep every night is the best defense against drowsy
driving, Higgins and colleagues note.
When that’s not possible, a nap to break up the road trip may still
help drivers remain more alert behind the wheel.
“If you start to get sleepy while you’re driving, pull over for a
short 20 to 30 minute nap in a safe place, such as a lighted
designated rest stop,” Higgins said. “You can also combine a
caffeinated drink with the nap - this has been shown to increase
alertness in scientific studies but only for short time periods.”
For the study, Higgins and colleagues examined data from previously
published research on drowsy driving to identify the main causes of
the problem and potential ways to prevent it.
Many lifestyle factors can influence the odds of drowsy driving,
they note. These include working long and irregular hours, working
night shifts and having multiple jobs.
In addition, people who tend to frequently visit nightclubs or who
are thrill-seekers also are more likely to be drowsy drivers.
People who don’t fit the profile of a typical drowsy driver can
still be at increased risk for nodding off behind the wheel at some
point due to life events, the authors also note. For example, people
who don’t get enough rest the night before embarking on a long
family road trip might be drowsy drivers.
To calculate the toll of drowsy driving, researchers examined crash
data from 2010.
They found 32,999 total fatal crashes and 3.9 million total injury
crashes.
Drowsy driving accounted for about 5,445 fatal crashes and 510,900
non-fatal collisions, for a total estimated societal cost of $109
billion per year, based on the 2010 figures.
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Too often, people drive when they’re tired because they have no
choice, said Russell Griffin, a researcher at the University of
Alabama at Birmingham who wasn’t involved in the study.
“It would be great if everyone had the ability to carpool or to had
access to public transportation, but without these options all they
can do is drive themselves regardless of how tired they may be,”
Griffin said by email.
“Another reason people drive while tired is that they underestimate
the risks of driving drowsy,” Griffin added. “If we are able to
educate the public of the dangers of drowsy driving, this may drive
people to either find alternate modes of transportation when tired
or plan ahead when they know that they will have to be driving while
tired (e.g., driving home from work).”
While insufficient sleep is most often the cause of drowsy driving,
other health issues can sometimes contribute to the problem, said
Dr. Donald Redelmeier, a researcher at the University of Toronto who
wasn’t involved in the study.
“Sometimes drowsy driving is caused by a medical disorder such as
sleep apnea, narcolepsy or a drug side effect,” Redelmeier said by
email.
Beyond taking precautions to remain awake and alert behind the
wheel, drivers should also keep other common-sense safety measures
in mind.
“Being drowsy is one of many factors that can lead to driver error
and a life-threatening traffic crash,” Redelmeier said. “At a
minimum, be sure to buckle your seatbelt, respect the speed limit,
avoid using cell phones, signal your turn, yield right-of-way, and
do not drink and drive.”
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2lsRcG4 Sleep, online January 25, 2017.
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