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Sleepiness, countermeasures and the risk of motor vehicle accidents

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Drugs, Driving and Traffic Safety

Abstract

There are several factors that increase the risk of driver sleepiness and result in increased accident risk. Modern vehicle design enables the driver to travel at high speeds and for long distances in a comfortable and often sleep promoting driving environment. Recent decades have seen an increase in shift work and apparent trends for reduced sleep length, which combine to increase driving risk, particularly with night driving. The young appear more vulnerable to the effects of reduced sleep, night driving and driving for long periods. Sleep related vehicle accidents represent a high proportion of vehicle accidents with the young and truck drivers standing out as vulnerable groups. People appear to be relatively poor predictors of imminent sleep onset so that driver warning systems would provide a valuable countermeasure, but unfortunately reliable commercial systems are still some years away. Future warning systems will need to account for the marked individual differences seen in levels of driver sleepiness, impaired performance and associated risk levels. Driver education programmes are required warning of the increased risks of driver sleepiness associated with extended waking, too little sleep, and driving during the circadian low period. Drivers should also be made aware of strategies helping to maximise sleep and optimise arousal which are of particular use for night driving and shift work. These could include the use of appropriate hypnotics to maximise available sleep, or melatonin and light exposure to enhance phase shifting or improve sleep and waking scheduling. Practical countermeasures used by drivers that have been assessed and appear beneficial include the use of brief naps and caffeine.

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  1. Psychology Department, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK

    Christopher A. Alford

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  1. Christopher A. Alford
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  1. Utrecht University Faculty of Science Section Psychopharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, P.O. Box 80082, 3508 TB, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Joris C. Verster

  2. Somnogen Inc., 8790 112th Street, New York, NY, 11418, USA

    S. R. Pandi-Perumal

  3. Experimental Psychopharmacology Unit, Department of Neuropsychology & Psychopharmacology Faculty of Psychology and Neurosciences, Maastricht University, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Johannes G. Ramaekers

  4. Department of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutical Care, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Johan J. de Gier

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Alford, C.A. (2009). Sleepiness, countermeasures and the risk of motor vehicle accidents. In: Verster, J.C., Pandi-Perumal, S.R., Ramaekers, J.G., de Gier, J.J. (eds) Drugs, Driving and Traffic Safety. Birkhäuser Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7643-9923-8_13

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