This report investigates, in detail, the characteristics of accidents attributed on the police report to the driver having fallen asleep. The study is a retrospective analysis of data from the state of North Carolina. Data are analyzed for the years 1990 to 1992, inclusive. Some evidence, albeit very indirect, that sleepiness may play a larger role than the number of crashes attributed to the driver being asleep would imply, is presented. There are beginning to be data about the effectiveness of countermeasures such as shoulder rumble strips. Sleep disorders and sleepiness are growing issues in traffic safety and there is a need to both better define the scope of the problem related to sleepiness and to develop and evaluate effective countermeasures.
Samenvatting