Asleep at the wheel: Fatigue quickly dulls drivers’ senses

William Atkins
Tuesday, 18 March 2008 20:00

Science - Health

According to the article “Driver Fatigue—Most Underestimated Cause Of Accident On The Road” by Arnold Cafe, “Driver fatigue [in the United States] is now considered a serious road safety issue, claiming more than forty deaths and nearly a thousand injuries in road crashes in 2006 alone. Over the period of 2002 to 2006, driver fatigue was identified as being responsible for 256 deaths or twelve percent of fatal crashes, and more than 4,350 injuries."

In fact, Cafe states, "Recent international research has suggested that driver fatigue is under-represented in accident statistics, and some estimates show that it could be a contributing factor in twenty to twenty four percent of fatal crashes.”

The author, Arnold Cafe, states these basic warning signs that show fatigue in drivers:

"Blinking or yawning frequently.
Having trouble keeping your head up.
Eyes closing for a moment or going out of focus.
Having wandering or disconnected thoughts.
Realizing that you have slowed down unintentionally.
Braking too late.
Not being able to remember driving the last few kilometers or miles.
Drifting over the median line unto the other side of the road."

Cafe urges drivers to counter fatigue while driving by:

"Take regular rest stops every couple of hours.
Share the driving with other passengers.
Eat light meals or fruits throughout the journey and drink water.
If feeling tired during the trip, a nap of twenty to forty minutes is an effective way of reducing sleepiness."