Harmful Hyperlink Between Driver Distraction And Sleepiness

Harmful Hyperlink Between Driver Distraction And Sleepiness

November 22, 2016
Driver distraction combined with sleepiness creates a perfect storm when younger folks get behind the wheel, warns QUT road safety researcher Dr Chris Watling.
Dr Watling, from QUT's Centre for Accident Analysis & Highway Security - Queensland (CARRS-Q) offered his analysis at the Distraction: the issue and potential solutions seminar being held at QUT this month (November).
The seminar draws collectively the latest in CARRS-Q's driver distraction research with the intention of reducing highway accidents and deaths.
Dr Watling said driver distraction and driver sleepiness accounted for approximately 25 per cent and 20 per cent of road crashes respectively, with tired drivers more likely to undertake distracting behaviours that take their eyes off the road, both consciously and unconsciously.
"When we get sleepy and we are performing a monotonous activity similar to driving, we tend to search for different issues that give us a lift to extend our alertness," he mentioned.
"Studies have shown sleepy drivers undertake more distracting-sort behaviours to increase their levels of alertness resembling gazing at passing surroundings and dashing as much as improve their concentrate on the task of driving.
"It is also of concern that some sleepy drivers would even use their cellular devices when driving to extend their alertness.
"These behaviours were discovered to be more prevalent when driving lengthy distances, which at the same time are rising levels of sleepiness due to the time-on-activity impact.
"What we additionally know is these behaviours are more prevalent in youthful drivers, creating the proper storm."
Dr Watling stated compared to older drivers, younger drivers were more impaired by sleepiness due to the pure developmental maturing of the body's sleep-wake methods in early adulthood.
"Younger people are additionally extra susceptible, simply distracted, in addition to being more more likely to have interaction in threat-taking behaviours," he stated.
"Sleep is important for a healthy physique and thoughts but younger folks 's sleep is often compromised by social actions, work or educational commitments.
"Given younger drivers are over-represented in crash statistics and extra more likely to be impaired by sleepiness and distraction, it's important that we look at ways to reduce these behaviours and our focus should be on young drivers.
"That said no driver is proof against sleepiness and sleepiness is a state that the majority, if not all drivers on our highway has skilled, and is habitually uncovered to."
Dr Watling mentioned street security researches should proceed to search for ways to boost consciousness of the hazards of driver sleepiness and distraction and encourage safer driver behaviour when behind the wheel.
October 14, 2015
Drivers are more likely to get behind the wheel drowsy than drunk despite it being simply as harmful, and the worst offenders are these below 30, a QUT study has discovered.
December 22, 2015
Drowsy drivers are being urged to cease and take a break the first time they hit a street rumble strip these college holidays, with new QUT analysis revealing the audio-tactile vibrations must be a wake-up call to drag over.
Vivid light combined with caffeine can improve driving efficiency and alertness of chronically sleep deprived younger drivers, according to a QUT street safety examine.
Caffeine and blue-inexperienced gentle have significant effects on enhancing the driving performance of chronically sleep disadvantaged young folks, an innovative QUT research has found.
Have you learnt the signs of being too sleepy to drive?
September 15, 2015
Drivers with drained eyes are thrice more more likely to cross the centre line, in accordance with QUT analysis, which has pinpointed four eye signs to assist drivers recognise the signs they are too sleepy to get behind the wheel.
October 10, 2012
(Medical Xpress)'”Nodding off at the wheel could be simpler than you assume. All individuals in a QUT examine showed extreme levels of sleepiness 40 minutes into a simulated driving test after waking early that day.
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