Detailed analyses of road traffic accidents on trunk roads and motorways in various parts of the UK were carried out. The incidence of probable or possible sleep-related vehicle accidents (SRVAs) was about 16% on the A1(M) and the A19 in Yorkshire, 20% on the M5 on Worcestershire and 30% on the M40 in Warwickshire. Drivers in SRVAs were more likely to sustain fatal or serious injuries than in non SRVAs. Most of the drivers causing SRVAs were men and half were under 31 years of age. SRVAs were relatively independent of traffic density. The presence of motorway services at Warwick on the M40 had no effect. The results are considered conservative as road traffic accidents under poor weather or blamed on tyre failures were not classified as SRVAs although some probably were.
Samenvatting