OBJECTIVE: The authors assessed the relationship between traffic accidents and drowsiness. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A self-answered questionnaire survey of 4331 commercial bus/truck drivers was done. RESULT: Sixty-nine percent of the drivers reported accidents and one third of these accidents was attributable to drowsiness. Drowsy driving and microsleeps were experienced by 75% and 28% of drivers respectively. Forty-five percent of drivers had excessive daytime sleepiness based on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS score > or =11). This excessive daytime sleepiness was strongly associated with feeling drowsy, microsleeps, and accidents. The major causes of drowsiness were sleep deprivation (90%), medications that caused sleepiness (78%), drinking alcohol the previous night (23%), and chronic loud snoring with or without obesity (17%). 61% of drivers worked longer than 12 hours with no days off The feeling of drowsiness at the wheel was also closely related to long hours of driving (>4 hours). Countermeasures that drivers used to keep them awake were talking to someone, drinking coffee or caffeinated-energy drinks, chewing snacks or gum and pulling over to have a nap. CONCLUSION: There is a strong relationship between accidents and drowsiness in commercial bus/truck drivers. The main cause of drowsiness was sleep deprivation. The authors hope that this information will help the public authority develop a policy to reduce the traffic accidents attributable to drowsy driving in commercial bus/truck drivers.
OBJECTIVE: The authors assessed the relationship between traffic accidents and drowsiness. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A self-answered questionnaire survey of 4331 commercial bus/truck drivers was done. RESULT: Sixty-nine percent of the drivers reported accidents and one third of these accidents was attributable to drowsiness. Drowsy driving and microsleeps were experienced by 75% and 28% of drivers respectively. Forty-five percent of drivers had excessive daytime sleepiness based on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS score > or =11). This excessive daytime sleepiness was strongly associated with feeling drowsy, microsleeps, and accidents. The major causes of drowsiness were sleep deprivation (90%), medications that caused sleepiness (78%), drinking alcohol the previous night (23%), and chronic loud snoring with or without obesity (17%). 61% of drivers worked longer than 12 hours with no days off The feeling of drowsiness at the wheel was also closely related to long hours of driving (>4 hours). Countermeasures that drivers used to keep them awake were talking to someone, drinking coffee or caffeinated-energy drinks, chewing snacks or gum and pulling over to have a nap. CONCLUSION: There is a strong relationship between accidents and drowsiness in commercial bus/truck drivers. The main cause of drowsiness was sleep deprivation. The authors hope that this information will help the public authority develop a policy to reduce the traffic accidents attributable to drowsy driving in commercial bus/truck drivers.
Authors: Nathaniel F Watson; M Safwan Badr; Gregory Belenky; Donald L Bliwise; Orfeu M Buxton; Daniel Buysse; David F Dinges; James Gangwisch; Michael A Grandner; Clete Kushida; Raman K Malhotra; Jennifer L Martin; Sanjay R Patel; Stuart F Quan; Esra Tasali Journal: J Clin Sleep Med Date: 2015-08-15 Impact factor: 4.062
Authors: Nathaniel F Watson; M Safwan Badr; Gregory Belenky; Donald L Bliwise; Orfeu M Buxton; Daniel Buysse; David F Dinges; James Gangwisch; Michael A Grandner; Clete Kushida; Raman K Malhotra; Jennifer L Martin; Sanjay R Patel; Stuart F Quan; Esra Tasali Journal: Sleep Date: 2015-08-01 Impact factor: 5.849
Authors: Lisa N Sharwood; Jane Elkington; Mark Stevenson; Ronald R Grunstein; Lynn Meuleners; Rebecca Q Ivers; Narelle Haworth; Robyn Norton; Keith K Wong Journal: Sleep Date: 2012-04-01 Impact factor: 5.849
Authors: Ahmad S BaHammam; Muath A Alkhunizan; Rabea H Lesloum; Amer M Alshanqiti; Abdulrahman M Aldakhil; Seithikurippu R Pandi-Perumal; Munir M Sharif Journal: Ann Thorac Med Date: 2014-10 Impact factor: 2.219