The scope and nature of the drowsy driving problem in New York state

• Published in: Accident analysis and prevention Vol. 28; no. 4; pp. 511 - 517
• Main Authors: McCartt, Anne T., Ribner, Stephen A., Pack, Allan I., Hammer, Mark C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-07-1996
• Subjects: Accidents, Traffic - statistics & numerical data; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Automobile Driving - statistics & numerical data; Driver survey; Drowsy driver crashes; Drowsy driving; Fall-asleep crashes; Fatigued driving; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; New York - epidemiology; Predictive Value of Tests; Prevalence; Regression Analysis; Risk Factors; Sleep Stages; Surveys and Questionnaires; Time Factors; Work Schedule Tolerance; New York; USA, New York; Drowsy driving; Driver survey; Drowsy driver crashes; Fall-asleep crashes; Fatigued driving
• ISSN: 0001-4575; 1879-2057
• DOI: 10.1016/0001-4575(96)00021-8

A telephone survey was conducted of a random sample of New York State licensed drivers to determine the prevalence and circumstances of drowsy driving. Based on the survey responses, 54.6% of the drivers had driven while drowsy within the past year; 22.6% had ever fallen asleep at the wheel without having a crash, 2.8% had ever crashed when they fell asleep, and 1.9% had crashed when driving while drowsy. Of the reported crashes due to driving while drowsy or falling asleep at the wheel, 82.5% involved the driver alone in the vehicle, 60.0% occurred between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., 47.5% were drive-off-road crashes, and 40.0% occurred on a highway or expressway. Multiple regression analysis suggested that the following driver variables are predictive of an increased frequency of driving drowsy: demographic characteristics (younger drivers, more education, and men); sleep patterns (fewer hours of sleep at night and greater frequency of trouble staying awake during the day); work patterns (greater frequency of driving for job and working rotating shifts); and driving patterns (greater number of miles driven annually and fewer number of hours a person can drive before becoming drowsy).