A structured interview was used to collect data from 1579 passenger vehicle drivers over a 10-week period. Approximately 11% of these drivers were shift workers (SW) who had completed night shift and the balance were non-shift workers (NSW). The mean one-way driving distance was 211 km (SD = 84) and 213 km (SD = 162) for SW and NSW respectively. The majority of SW (76%) did not plan to take a driving break and some intended driving up to 600 km. SW reported taking approximately 6.5 h of sleep the day before the drive compared to NSW who had a full nights sleep. Mean sleepiness ratings based on the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) suggested SW were significantly more sleepy (M = 4.64) than NSW (M = 2.98). Approximately 19% of SW were classified with severe sleepiness (KSS 7) compared to 1% of NSW and this suggested SW had a greater incidence of safety relevant sleepiness. Severe sleepiness has been linked to driving impairments and is therefore, of concern for the safety of the individual and the wider community. (A) "Reprinted with permission from Elsevier".
Abstract