title: Sleep-deprived young drivers and the risk for crash: the DRIVE prospective cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Short sleep duration is common in adolescents and young adults, and short sleep duration is a risk factor for motor vehicle crash.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the association between hours of sleep and the risk for motor vehicle crash, including the time of day of crash and types of crash (single, multiple vehicle, run off road, and intersection).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  New South Wales, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaire responses were obtained from 20,822 newly licensed drivers aged 17 to 24 years. Participants held a first-stage provisional license between June 2003 and December 2004 prospectively linked to licensing and police-reported crash data, with an average of 2 years of follow-up. Analyses were conducted on a subsample of 19,327 participants for which there was full information.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sleeping 6 or fewer hours per night.
  
  
  METHODS
  The main outcome variable was police-reported crash. Multivariable Poisson regression models were used to investigate the role of sleep duration on the risk for crash.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On average, those who reported sleeping 6 or fewer hours per night had an increased risk for crash compared with those who reported sleeping more than 6 hours (relative risk [RR], 1.21; 95% CI, 1.04-1.41). Less weekend sleep was significantly associated with an increased risk for run-off-road crashes (RR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.21-2.00). Crashes for individuals who had less sleep per night (on average and on weekends) were significantly more likely to occur between 8 pm and 6 am (RR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.11-3.13, for midnight to 5:59 am and RR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.15-2.39, for 8:00 pm to 11:59 pm).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Less sleep per night significantly increased the risk for crash for young drivers. Less sleep on weekend nights increased the risk for run-off-road crashes and crashes occurring in the late-night hours. This provides rationale for governments and health care providers to address sleep-related crashes among young drivers.
authors.affiliation: The George Institute for Global Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. amartiniuk@george.org.au
authors.forename: Alexandra L C
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Martiniuk
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Senserrick
authors.forename: Serigne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Ronald R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Grunstein
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Woodward
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Glozier
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Norton
authors.forename: Rebecca Q
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Ivers
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult