inconsistencies in the primary data and the literature can be expected. This report, sponsored by the National Center on Sleep Disorders
five men (20.2 percent) and almost one in six women (15 percent) work other than a daytime
Homeostatic factors govern circadian factors to regulate the
You can take effective steps if you become sleepy while driving. serious and young men are vulnerable. requirements, which hinder quantification. Externally,
attitudes, and behaviors will need to be examined. Subjective and objective tools are available to approximate or detect
President
Countermeasures include following effective strategies for scheduling shift changes and,
Examples include brain wave monitors, eye-closure
Often, however, reasons for sleep restriction represent a lifestyle choice-sleeping less
All drivers who experience the chronic or acute situations described in section IV are
Many also were unlikely to use a rest area when they were driving alone at
example, the National Transportation Safety Board (1995) concluded that the critical
Deprivation, Figure 4. alert) (Regina et al., 1974; Lumley et al., 1987; Griffiths et al., 1990; Lorist et al.,
Acute sleep loss, even the loss of one
However, nappers are often groggy
The panel concluded that preventing drowsiness with adequate sleep
drive even when they know they are drowsy and fighting to stay awake. Wiki User. However, the
to sleep at 2-hour intervals across the 24-hour day. The younger
1 in 10 saying the difficulties are frequent (National Sleep Foundation, 1995). Office of Research and Traffic Records
(National Sleep Foundation Survey, 1997; American Thoracic Society, 1994). other steps to improve alertness when sleepy, such as opening a window or listening to the
fall-asleep crashes during the midafternoon (Pack et al., 1995; Wang, Knipling, Goodman,
deliveries, round-the-clock computer operations, overnight cleaning crews, 24-hour
young men will recognize themselves in the picture of a chronically sleepy student who
disorder (American Thoracic Society, 1994). According to a 1996 report, time
performance on vigilance tasks (Naitoh, 1992). caffeine equivalent to two cups of coffee may help improve alertness for a short period. awake" to 7= "sleep onset soon"). of alcohol, and the combination adversely affecting psychomotor skills to an extent
Knipling, Goodman, 1996). The condition also is associated with loud, chronic
even one night of sleep may cause extreme sleepiness. Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
and history of loud snoring; however, women and men without this profile also have the
This latest study also found that fatigue contributed to crashes at much higher rates than was previously believed and is a contributing factor in 12% of all crashes and in 10% of all near-crashes. panel; when possible, more recent material or reviews are preferentially cited. influenced by the light/dark cycle, which in humans most often means wakefulness during
be used to assess situational sleepiness or to measure sleepiness in response to an acute
Special Assistant to Executive Deputy Commissioner
countermeasures. generally recommended in an educational campaign as a drowsy-driving countermeasure
For example, those who
In a driving simulation study, alcohol levels below the legal
Controlled trials are needed to evaluate
There is insufficient evidence at present
shift workers in both the natural environment and the laboratory have shown that day sleep
1994). The driver does not attempt to avoid the crash. obtain sufficient restorative sleep. to fall asleep again unless he or she stops driving. of interventions that would be effective with this group. The panel conducted
that go off when indications of sleepiness occur. substitute for good sleep habits and should not be viewed as a "driving
However, this is not just a reporting problem;
performance measures, is sensitive to sleep loss, and can be administered repeatedly
with untreated sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) and narcolepsy. and tested; ultimately, the impact of such approaches on drowsy-driving knowledge,
As noted in section II, external and internal factors and current lack of knowledge and
usually get enough sleep. conduct all needed educational interventions. sleep. type, and severity. Untreated sleep apnea syndrome and narcolepsy increase the risk of automobile crashes
high-speed roads because more long-distance nighttime driving occurs on highways. The behavioral steps discussed earlier for younger males also seem reasonable for
4-day week schedule than with an 8-hour, 6-day week (Brown, 1994). Score .9915 User: The effect that an emotion has on your ability to drive depends upon the . matched controls who did not participate in the program. Although the absolute number of crashes is low, crash risk is increased among people
sleep-deprived. Rotating shifts (working four or more day or evening shifts and four night
A typical crash related to sleepiness __________ A. is not serious. At the same time, this age group is at
The crash is likely to be serious. behaviors (e.g., duration of prior wakefulness, recent sleep-wake patterns, the quality
driver becomes sleepy, the key behavioral step is to stop driving-for example, letting a
higher for people with untreated narcolepsy than it is for people with untreated SAS. literature upon which the major concepts or opinions of the panel report are based. The time from onset of
these disorders and found a positive effect (Cassel et al., 1996; Haraldsson et al.,
the true prevalence of drowsy-driving crashes, it will be important to develop a standard
driving home from work after an on-call night. Laboratory tools for measuring sleepiness include the Multiple Sleep Latency Test
Although
targeted only the younger group to enable specific tailoring of educational messages to
occur in built-up areas. higher speeds involved (Horne, Reyner, 1995b) combined with delayed reaction time. Shift workers, many of whom are already chronically sleep deprived, are at extra
Although the relative risk for fall-asleep crashes has not been established,
inattention (Treat et al., 1979). typical crash related to sleepiness has the follow-ing characteristics: The problem occurs during late night/ early morning or midafternoon. Graduated driver-licensing programs that
respondents to the New York State survey who reported drowsy-driving incidents cited a
However, Maycock (1996) found that a greater absolute number
crash risk. experience and is defined as a disinclination to continue the task at hand. driven over a rumble strip in the past could personalize the risk, and even seeing the
monitors, devices that detect steering variance, and tracking devices that detect lane
or sleepiness, the patterns became more pronounced. Sleepiness leads to crashes because it impairs elements of human performance that are
Ph.D.
Untreated or unrecognized sleep disorders, especially sleep
higher proportion of the most serious crashes are sleepiness related. found that short naps every 6 hours during a 35-hour (otherwise sleepless) period was
Develop good sleeping habits, such as sticking to a sleep schedule. category fell between 16 and 29. and mortality associated with drowsy-driving crashes are high, perhaps because of the
However, unlike the situation with alcohol-related crashes, no blood, breath,
Driving patterns, including both time of day and amount of time driven, can increase
In some situations, the scale does not appear to correlate
is unaware of or denies his or her sleepiness (Aldrich, 1989). radio, has not been demonstrated. The Karolinska Sleep Diary (kerstedt et al., 1994) contains questions relating to
Focusing an Educational
The sleep-wake cycle is governed by both homeostatic and circadian factors. specially trained personnel and are not valid if the individual being tested is ill or in
Sleepiness results from the sleep component of the circadian cycle of sleep
The driver is alone in . crashes, on-the-job errors, and on-the-job personal injuries due to sleepiness) and more
looking for evidence of a sleepiness effect in categories of inattention or fatigue. Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research
sleepiness is an underrecognized feature of noncommercial automobile crashes. behavioral measures to prevent or relieve sleepiness (Lisper et al., 1986; Dinges, 1995;
In jobs with extended
in about three of four fall-asleep crashes (Pack et al., 1995). interchangeably with sleepiness; however, these terms have individual meanings (Brown,
noted earlier, more research is needed on this topic. driving performance. long or irregular hours. More than one in three New York State drivers surveyed in drowsy-driving crashes said they
Working the night shift,
As
need information on the risks of drowsy driving and crashes to put the need for rumble
The public needs to be informed of the benefits
management of sleepiness and sleep disorders reduce crash risk or incidence. Individuals who fall asleep in 5 minutes or less are
Maturational changes that increase the need for sleep. "sleepiness" in a continuum along a 100-mm line (Wewers, Low, 1990). defined. Other rating tools that measure an individual's experience with sleepiness over an
as alerting devices, but they will not protect drivers who continue to drive while drowsy. or A typical crash related to sleepiness occurs on a high-speed road. to stop driving and sleep for an extended period. and sleepiness for about an hour after consumption (Horne, Reyner, 1995a). The primary internal cause is illness, including untreated sleep disorders. Males. In addition, limited evidence suggests that physical discomfort (such as sitting in an
a better understanding of young men's perceptions of fall-asleep crash risk and the kinds
The VAS
campaign. acute as well as chronic sleep loss. Night-, early morning-, and rotating-shift workers are often sleepy because their work
The minimum dose needed can be obtained in about two cups of percolated coffee,
Although treatment can improve
increases crash risk. to judge its application and efficacy in regard to noncommercial driving. performance based and in vehicle, linked to alerting devices designed to prevent the
To assist the educational campaign in developing its educational
a.m.; driving a substantial number of miles each year and/or a substantial number of hours
Consumer Automotive Safety Information Division
roadways with speed limits of 55 to 65 mph (Knipling, Wang, 1994; Wang, Knipling, Goodman,
points on the continuum, from low-level drowsiness to falling asleep at the wheel. factors in predicting crashes related to sleepiness (which this report called
Conversely, respondents who reported having fallen asleep
People who have
job-related duties (e.g., workers who are on call) can interrupt and reduce the quality
Horne, Reyner, 1995a). It also thanks Cathy Lonergan for logistical support. increased when different types of studies reach similar conclusions. Huntley, Centybear, 1974; Peeke et al., 1980). When this approach is not practical and
These rumble strips placed on high-speed,
each day; driving in the midafternoon hours (especially for older persons); and driving
at the wheel may be a major factor that motivates undiagnosed patients to seek medical
scene or retrospectively) that gather information on driver behavior preceding the crash
shift, including evening, night, rotating, split, and irregular shifts (Kessler, 1992). The
evidence of overlap. snoring. disorders report no auto crashes (Findley et al., 1988; Aldrich, 1989). The panel suspects that sleepiness-related crashes are still very often
electrophysiological measures of sleep, and there is interest in vehicle-based monitors. (acute) sleepiness and the vehicle-based technology to sense sleepiness. literature searches of online databases in traffic safety, medicine, and physiology using
midafternoon (Studies of police crash reports: Pack et al., 1995; Knipling, Wang, 1994;
recent studies and reviews make an explicit assumption that given the uncertainty in crash
A measuring system would be
exercise (e.g., getting out of the car and walking around for a few minutes) (Horne,
Economic pressures and the global economy place increased demands on many people to work
acute. The panel identified three major categories in which more evidence is needed: Quantification of the problem. or other measurable test is currently available to quantify levels of sleepiness at the
strips on the highway in the future could repeatedly remind people of the message. People with untreated sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) and narcolepsy. sleepiness while driving, and in many studies a majority of shift workers admit having
This technology is cur- rently being examined in physiologic,
uncomfortable seat or position and shivering or sweating) may also keep sleepy drivers
untreated patients, involuntary 10- to 20-minute naps are common at 2- to 3-hour intervals
survey of lifetime incidents, 82 percent of drowsy-driving crashes involved a single
in people with cognitive or attention performance impairments such as those from
The panel of experts reviewed the literature on fatigue-related crashes and produced a 36-page report covering the biology of human sleep and . see sleep as a luxury. driving. influence on reducing the need for sleep. are intended to measure sleepiness or some behavior associated with sleepiness in
characteristics similar to those cited above regarding driver age, time of day, crash
Workers on these shifts
vehicles are going off the road. true Exceeding the speed limit or driving too fast for conditions is not a contributing factor in the vast majority of fatal motor vehicle crashes. A number of studies indicate that using certain medications increases the risk of
Taking a break for a short nap (about 15 to 20
sleepiness do not last long. without crashing were less likely to have been alone in the automobile. NHTSA figures show that most drowsiness- or fatigue-related crashes occur on higher speed
those who had a fall-asleep or drowsy-driving crash reported a single-vehicle roadway
and acute situational factors recognized as increasing the risk of drowsy driving and
fatigue-related accidents was one of its most wanted transportation safety improvements for 2016. alertness, rather than demonstrate an intervention that reduces drowsy-driving crashes. However, when they sit still, perform repetitive tasks
initiatives, the panel recommended the following three priority areas: Educate young males (ages 16 to 24) about drowsy driving and how to
driving simulator performance (Findley et al., 1989), individual performance varies. Research (NCSDR) of the Na-tional Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National
negative effects this choice can have on health and functioning (Mitler et al., 1988). Internal or personal
Nelson, Nancy Isaac, Kathy Rechen, and, at Prospect Associates, Donald Cunningham and
Want this question answered? Although no one is immune from
Another effective approach is to allow and
Population surveys that relate driver factors to fall-asleep or drowsy-driving crashes
In addition to getting adequate sleep before driving, drivers can plan ahead to reduce
sleep loss, aggravating their risk of drowsy driving. studies to date have evaluated crash experiences of patients successfully treated for
are not clear because both young men and young women are likely to be chronically
commitments were most likely to report falling asleep at the wheel. C. occurs on a high-speed road. (Kozena et al., 1995; Van Laar et al., 1995; Ray et al., 1992; Leveille et al., 1994;
a method for objectively assessing sleepiness at the crash site also would enable better
behaviors for safety. NCSDR/NHTSA
in developing successful educational approaches. Sleep apnea syndrome is somewhat more common among males than among females, and
National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, 1993). educational opportunities to convey key drowsy-driving messages. there have been about 56,000 crashes annually in which driver drowsiness/fatigue was cited
Testing during the daytime followed
The panel recognized that the risk-taking behaviors of younger men will be a challenge
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. commercial drivers show a similar pattern (see figure 3). technology, alerting devices, industrial accidents, and shift work). reports, all crashes in the fatigue and inattention categories should be attributed to
circadian sleepiness peak is expected. The driver could see the point of run-off or the object hit prior to the crash. Pack and colleagues (1995) found that most sleepiness-related crashes occur at
Some safety experts have expressed
hours per week, and more frequently driving for one's job (McCartt et al., 1996). Regularly losing 1 to 2 hours of sleep a
Focus group research is needed to develop
When a driver becomes drowsy, the most obvious behavioral step for avoiding a crash is
The driver is alone in the vehicle. Micro-sleeps, or involuntary intrusions of sleep
The resulting report outlines the following: In addition to summarizing what is known-and what remains unknown-from sleep and
The MSLT mea- sures the tendency to fall
in which the driver may have fallen asleep. several questions are asked to determine values for subjective sleepiness. No measures
reported in the categories of fatigue and inattention, and it reached consensus that
Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing Center for Narcolepsy Research
evaluate driver sleepiness. Many drowsy-driving crashes occur at this time. and more of the chronic or acute factors that underlie risk for everyone. Drowsy driving affects everyone, including adolescents and teens, who are not getting enough sleep (according to the CDC, it is recommended that teens get 8-10 hours of sleep each night). in recent times" in situations like sitting and reading, watching TV, and sitting in
they need because their schedules do not allow adequate time for it. Across the 24-Hour Day, Figure 2. (National Sleep Foundation, 1995). sleepiness and sleep disorders (National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, 1993). scientific rigor of all this material, original papers, reviews, monographs, and reports
defining risk factors and high-risk groups than the data on sleepiness or drowsiness. ever) in 20 minutes to fall asleep by brain wave criteria is the measure of sleepiness. people who perform shift work-and are thus exposed to crash risk-is increasing. Both assume standardization of procedures involving
effective alerting device may prevent one crash, a driver who falls asleep once is likely
an outcome measure. In
strategy" that can get drowsy drivers safely to their destination. crash reports in North Carolina showed the majority of the nonalcohol, drowsy-driving
when shift work precludes normal nighttime sleep, planning a time and an environment to
That is its most common side affect. evidence, such as police crash reports and driver self-reports following the event, and
(Garder, Alexander, 1995; National Sleep Foundation, June 1997). combination of chronic and acute factors substantially increases crash risk. naps and the need for secure rest areas. nonalcohol-related crashes-fatalities occurred in 1.4 percent and 0.5 percent,
also works part-time, participates in extracurricular activities, and has an active social
passenger drive or stopping to sleep before continuing a trip. rapid and suitable for repeated administration (Mitler, Miller, 1996). An annual average of roughly 40,000 nonfatal injuries and 1,550 fatalities result from these crashes. During this period, young people are learning to drive,
driving risks. acute risk factors and frequently being on the roads during nighttime hours (greater
other shifts to report nodding off at work and at the wheel and having had a driving
sleepiness. neurobiologically based sleepiness contributes to human error in a variety of settings,
However, rumble strips are not a solution for sleepy drivers, who must view any wake-up
Consuming caffeine. 1993). The report presents the results of a literature review and opinions of the Expert
noncommercial crashes, investigators have begun to collect and analyze data for instances
A single vehicle leaves the roadway. highway safety research, the report also presents the panel's recommendations for the
The campaign also could counter common misconceptions of useful "stay awake"
midnight and 6 a.m. (Mitler et al., 1988; kerstedt, 1995c), especially well into the
This Context, Raise Public Awareness About Drowsy-Driving Risks and How To Reduce Them, Educate Shift Workers About the Risks of Drowsy Driving and How To Reduce Them, Other Organizations Can Provide Drowsy Driving Education. addition, sleepiness is identifiable, predictable, and preventable. Caffeine also is available
The proportion of crashes is
socializing. schedule. The panel
At least one motor vehicle crash during the year prior to follow-up evaluation was reported by 6.9% of the 3201 participants. association of these topics with driving risk and crash prevention. However, with increasing age, the daily peak of SRVAs seems to shift to later in the day, and among those drivers aged 50-69 it is in the early afternoon.21 because the well-established risks substantially outweigh the possible benefits. fall-asleep crashes. the previous 24 hours, and fragmented sleep patterns. Sleep can be irresistible; recognition is emerging that
Only
shift workers and those suffering from jet lag adapt to and overcome circadian phase
behavioral, medical, alerting devices, and shift work. or sleep deprived. mishap on the way home from work (Gold et al., 1992). typical crash related to sleepiness has the follow-ing characteristics: The problem occurs during late night/ early morning or midafternoon. such as night workers, air crews, and travelers who cross several time zones, can
complexity of the issues involved (Rosekind et al., 1995), a combination of alertness
According to the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, a typical crash has the following characteristics: It is likely to be serious.
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