Causes of sleepiness-related driving among long-distance truck drivers including violations of the hours-of-service regulations.

Using self-report data gathered through interviews with on-the-road long-distance truck drivers in New York State, a model was developed to test hypothesised causal relationships among measures of work and rest schedules, driver characteristics, violations of hour-of-service regulations, symptoms of sleep disorders, reported quality of sleep, and frequency of drowsy driving. Structural equation modelling (LISREL) was used to test the model. The results suggests that a driver's failure to comply with current hours-of-service regulations results in increased drowsy driving, while unrealistic trip schedules are a key factor in a driver's tendency to violate the regulations (A)