[Falling asleep at the wheel: the chief cause of severe traffic accidents].
All fatal traffic accidents on highways in Bavaria in 1991 have been analyzed. The most frequent single cause for the 204 accidents was falling asleep (24%). A time of day analysis revealed that the highest accidents frequencies could be observed at 6:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. In addition an age effect could be observed. The majority of the day accidents were caused by older drivers, while most of the night accidents were caused by younger ones.
Zulley
J
J
Bezirkskrankenhaus Regensburg, München, Deutschland.
Crönlein
T
T
Hell
W
W
Langwieder
K
K
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000401:mortality*