FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH FALLING ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL AMONG LONG-DISTANCE TRUCK DRIVERS

Data on the prevalence and hypothesized predictors of falling asleep while driving were gathered through face-to-face interviews with long-distance truck drivers randomly selected at public and private rest areas and routine roadside truck safety inspections. Hypothesized predictor variables related to drivers' typical work rest patterns, extent of daytime and night-time drowsiness, symptoms of sleep disorder, measures of driving exposure, and demographic characteristics were examined. A sizeable proportion of long-distance truck drivers reported falling asleep at the wheel of the truck: 47.1% the survey respondents had never fallen asleep at the wheel of a truck, and 25.4% had fallen asleep at the wheel in the past year. Factor analysis reduced the large set of predictors to six underlying, independent factors: greater daytime sleepiness; more arduous schedules, with more hours of work and fewer hours off-duty; older, more experienced drivers; shorter, poorer sleep on road; symptoms of sleep disorder; and greater tendency to night-time drowsy driving. Based on multivariate logistic regression, all six factors were predictive of self-reported falling asleep at the wheel. Falling asleep was also associated with not having been alerted by driving over shoulder rumble strips. The results suggest that countermeasures that limit drivers' work hours and enable drivers to get adequate rest and that identify drivers with sleep disorders are appropriate methods to reduce sleepiness-related driving by truck drivers. (A)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00014575
• Corporate Authors:

  Elsevier

  The Boulevard, Langford Lane
  Kidlington, Oxford  United Kingdom  OX5 1GB
• Authors:
  • McCartt, A T
  • Rohrbaugh, J W
  • Hammer, M C
  • FULLER, S Z
• Publication Date: 2000-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 493-504
• Serial:
  • Accident Analysis & Prevention
  • Volume: 32
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0001-4575
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00014575

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crashes; Drivers; Fatigue (Physiological condition); Freight transportation; Trucks
• ITRD Terms: 1643: Accident; 1772: Driver; 2222: Fatigue (human); 741: Goods traffic; 1236: Lorry
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Motor Carriers; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00795119
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-043 078
• Files: HSL, ITRD, , ATRI
• Created Date: Jul 7 2000 12:00AM