Enhanced tiredness among young impaired male nighttime drivers

Abstract

This study focuses on the incidence and amount of tiredness among young impaired male nighttime drivers during the hours between midnight and 6 a.m. One hundred and twenty impaired drivers, aged 18–30 years, with an average blood alcohol concentration of 1.54 g/l (range 0.81–2.99 g/l) are compared to 240 sober drivers of similar age stopped by the police in roadside surveys. A questionnaire shows that the increase in median awake period during the six observation hours is gradual and directly proportional to the time of the night for both groups, while the average awake period is significantly longer and that the average previous sleep period is significantly shorter for the impaired drivers. Self-assessment of tiredness shows 30 “rested,” 68 “tired,” and 22 “very tired” impaired drivers and 123 “rested,” 105 “tired,” and 12 “very tired” sober control drivers. This difference in level of “tiredness” is also significant. The questionnaire and the results of a simple visual reaction time test show individual differences for the drivers in both groups, but the difference in mean reaction time between the impaired drivers and the sober drivers is significant. Sub-division of the impaired drivers according to their self-assessed level of “tiredness” also shows significant differences in mean reaction time. The findings of the present study support the hypothesis that tiredness is an inherent and common accident risk factor among young male impaired drivers in nighttime traffic.