Prevalence of drowsy driving and modeling its intention: An Indonesian case study

Abstract

Drowsy driving is a common occurrence and a major cause of traffic accidents. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of and the reasons why people engage in drowsy driving and to develop a model of the factors that influence drowsy driving in Indonesia. Two hundred and fifteen respondents voluntarily participated in this study by completing an online questionnaire. The questionnaire, which comprised 36 items, was developed based on the theory of planned behavior and the health belief model. Convenience sampling was utilized to select respondents, as they had to fulfill the requirements of being able to drive and having a driving license for at least one year. The results showed that 79% of respondents had had at least one experience of drowsy driving. In addition, 32% of the respondents had experienced a near-miss accident during drowsy driving. Their reported reasons for drowsy driving were eagerness to arrive at the destination quickly, lack of availability of proper rest areas, and lack of awareness of sleepiness. The demographic characteristics that differentiated drowsy driving behaviors included age, sex, and living area. The factors influencing drowsy driving were attitude, perceived behavioral control, and perceived barriers. The implications of these results are discussed.