Document Detail


Sleepiness and driving: the experience of UK car drivers.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  9065874     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
A postal questionnaire survey aimed at exploring the relationship between accidents and daytime sleepiness was sent to 9000 male drivers of which 4621 (51.3%) responded (mean age 47.7, SD 17.1). Drivers provided details of the accidents they had experienced in the last 3 y, and identified those factors, including tiredness, they thought contributed to the accident. In addition, drivers completed the Epworth scale measuring daytime sleepiness and reported whether they had felt close to falling asleep whilst driving during the past 12 mo. Analysis of the data showed that 29% of drivers had felt close to falling asleep at the wheel in the last 12 mo, the probability of which depended on Epworth score, age, occupational group, annual mileage, the proportion of time spent driving on motorways and in built-up areas, how long the driver is prepared to drive before taking a break, and whether the driver is driving a company car or not. Overall, about 7% of accident 'involvements' were associated with tiredness (representing 9-10% of accidents)-a figure which is higher on motorways than on rural roads or built-up roads and higher still in the early hours of the morning. Accident rates of company car drivers and/or those who have felt close to falling asleep at the wheel in the last year are shown to be associated with daytime sleepiness. For example, a company car driver who has felt close to falling asleep at the wheel in the last 12 mo and who scores highly on the Epworth scale has an accident liability which is 70% higher than a similar driver who scores zero on the Epworth scale. Snoring every night increases accident liability by about 30%.
Authors:
G Maycock
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of sleep research     Volume:  5     ISSN:  0962-1105     ISO Abbreviation:  J Sleep Res     Publication Date:  1996 Dec 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1997-05-12     Completed Date:  1997-05-12     Revised Date:  2004-11-17    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9214441     Medline TA:  J Sleep Res     Country:  ENGLAND    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  229-37     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Transport Research Laboratory, Crowthorne, Berks, UK.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Accidents, Traffic
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Automobile Driving*
Disorders of Excessive Somnolence*
Great Britain
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Questionnaires
Sleep
Snoring

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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