title: The 10-year risk of verified motor vehicle crashes in relation to physiologic sleepiness.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine the risk of DMV documented crashes as a function of physiological sleepiness in a population-based sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  24-hour laboratory assessment (nocturnal polysomnogram and daytime MSLT) and 10-year crash rate based on DMV obtained accident records.
  
  
  METHODS
  618 individuals (mean age = 41.6 +/- 12.8; 48.5% male) were recruited from the general population of southeastern Michigan using random-digit dialing techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects were divided into 3 groups based on their average MSLT latency (in minutes) as follows: excessively sleepy, 0.0 to < or = 5.0 (n = 69); moderately sleepy, 5.0 to < or = 10.0 (n = 204); and alert, > 10 (n = 345). Main outcome measures were DMV data on accidents from 1995-2005. Rates for all accidents in the 3 MSLT groups were: excessively sleepy = 59.4%, moderately sleepy = 52.5%, alert = 47.3%. Excessively sleepy subjects were at significantly greater risk of an accident over the 10-year period compared to alert subjects. A similar relation was observed when we limited the database to those accident victims with severe injury (excessively sleepy = 4.3%, moderately sleepy = 0.5%, alert = 0.6%; P = 0.028). When the victim was the only occupant of the car, subjects in the lowest MSLT group (highest sleepiness) had the greatest crash rate compared with alert individuals (excessively sleepy = 52.2%, moderately sleepy = 42.2%, alert = 37.4%; P = 0.022).
  
  
  METHODS
  N/A.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data demonstrate that the MSLT, a physiological measure of sleepiness, is predictive of an increased risk of DMV documented automotive crashes in the general population.
authors.affiliation: Sleep Disorders and Research Center, Henry Ford Hospital, 2799 West Grand Blvd, CFP3, Detroit, MI 48202, USA. cdrake1@hfhs.org
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Drake
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Roehrs
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Breslau
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jefferson
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Scofield
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Roth
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006970:Disorders of Excessive Somnolence / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult