Sleep related vehicle accidents.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the incidence, time of day, and driver morbidity associated with vehicle accidents where the most likely cause was the driver falling asleep at the wheel.


METHODS
Two surveys were undertaken, in southwest England and the midlands, by using police databases or on the spot interviews.


METHODS
Drivers involved in 679 sleep related vehicle accidents.


RESULTS
Of all vehicle accidents to which the police were summoned, sleep related vehicle accidents comprised 16% on major roads in southwest England, and over 20% on midland motorways. During the 24 hour period there were three major peaks: at around 0200, 0600, and 1600. About half these drivers were men under 30 years; few such accidents involved women.


CONCLUSIONS
Sleep related vehicle accidents are largely dependent on the time of day and account for a considerable proportion of vehicle accidents, especially those on motorways and other monotonous roads. As there are no norms for the United Kingdom on road use by age and sex for time of day with which to compare these data, we cannot determine what the hourly exposure v risk factors are for these subgroups. The findings are in close agreement with those from other countries.
Horne
J A
JA
Department of Human Sciences, Loughborough University, Leicestershire.
Reyner
L A
LA
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001334:Automobile Driving; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012890:Sleep; D013997:Time Factors