Study: Tired Drivers as Dangerous as Drunk Drivers

Posted on behalf of Daniel Clayton in Car Accidents

Although a lot of attention is given to the dangers associated with drunk driving, a recent study has found that drowsy driving is just as dangerous.

The Archives of Internal Medicine published a study which looked at data from hospital patients who had been admitted into care for more than 24 hours after getting into a motor vehicle accident. Police reports, blood alcohol levels and patient questionnaires were also analyzed. Specifically, patients were asked questions related to how tired they were before getting in an accident. They were also asked whether or not they were taking any medications.

In this study, a main focus was the effect of a driver taking a medication that carries a warning about side effects that could affect a person's driving ability. Surprising to the researchers was that those on these types of medications actually had a lower risk for causing an accident. The lead researcher said this could be due to the fact that people taking these medications are more cautious since they know about the possible side effects.

However, when it came to being drunk or sleepy, the study found that both factors make a driver at least twice as likely to cause an accident. Of course, this can result in injuries to not only the driver, but also other people who are also out on the roadways.

The study analyzed data from 679 drivers who were in accidents.  According to the study, around half of those drivers were the ones responsible for causing the crashes. Of those, it was determined that those between the ages of 18 and 29 who had either been drinking or were tired had an increased risk of being the one to cause an actual accident.

What this means for the general public is that it's important to make sure to obviously never drive after drinking, but to also take driving tired just as serious. This means that if you are tired, take a short nap or drink some coffee - and wait for it to kick in - before driving. Realize, however, that caffeine will wear off!

Additionally, remember things like rolling down the window, turning on the air conditioning or blasting loud music masks how tired you are, but does not take away the risk of getting into an accident.

I had previously written about how up to 31% of Truck/Bus Accidents were caused by driver fatigue.

Source: Reuters, "Sleepy, drunk driver equally dangerous: study," Andrew Seaman, May 30, 2012

Tags: Car Accidents, Driver Fatigue, Drunk-Driving Accidents, Trucking Accidents

Driver Fatigue Responsbile for many Bus and Truck Accidents

On behalf of Daniel Clayton posted in Trucking Accidents

Several disturbing commercial bus accidents over the past several months have put the spotlight on federal regulations and industry practices in both the motor coach and commercial trucking industries. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), studies show that between 13 and 31 percent of commercial bus and trucking accidents are caused by driver fatigue — and the industries’ economic models probably contribute directly to the problem.
Bus and trucking companies work to strict schedules, and those schedules often require overnight driving. According to sleep scientists, even experienced drivers with no other medical issues will always find it a challenge to stay awake on overnight runs — especially when driving between 4:00 and 6:00 a.m. when the body’s natural rhythms are urging us to sleep.
Added to that is a high rate of obesity and sleep apnea among commercial bus and truck drivers. Those medical issues can make it even harder for drivers to remain awake and alert in challenging conditions, according to transportation and public safety consultant Darrel Drobnich, who is an expert on driver fatigue.
“No matter how much sleep you have had, no matter how young you are, that time of day is extremely dangerous to drive a motor vehicle,” he explains.
Sleep scientists, labor leaders and safety advocates say that the motor coach and trucking industry policies result in far too many drivers on the road with too little rest
Federal regulations mandate a certain amount of rest for commercial drivers, although the rules vary between commercial truck drivers, bus drivers and others. For example, commercial truckers with Class A licenses are permitted to drive no longer than 11 hours before they must take a 10-hour break. The 11-hour driving period can be extended slightly if the driver takes off-duty breaks within the shift rather than driving straight through, but they can only be on duty for a total of 14 hours before they must go off duty.
Bus drivers are only allowed to drive for 10 hours before they must go off duty for 8 hours, but taking breaks can extend the total amount of time they are on duty. Even if their on-duty time isn’t extended, bus drivers can drive for 10 hours, take 8 hours off, and then drive for another 10 hours — meaning they can legally work two full 10-hour shifts in only 28 hours.
“The consequence is an entire industry populated by people not getting enough sleep,” said Larry Hanley, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents commercial bus drivers.
Of course, challenging schedules and tight profit margins do encourage some companies and drivers to ignore the rules. After bus or trucking accidents, it is often discovered that drivers were on the road for far longer than was legal — sometimes using false log books to deflect scrutiny.
The NTSB is urging the government to replace paper log books with electronic devices that keep track of how many hours drivers are actually on the road. Other proposals include mandating more frequent rest stops during shifts or even requiring a second driver in every truck.
Source: Associated Press, “Fatal Va. bus crash shines light on driver fatigue,” Joan Lowy, June 11, 2011

Tags: Bus Accidents, Causes of Trucking Accidents, Driver Fatigue, NTSB, Trucking Accidents

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