Research shows that the impact of fatigue/sleepiness on traffic safety is high. The aim of this report is to summarize the findings of different studies conducted as part of the ERANET node 15 priority with a focus on driver sleepiness, its cause and possible countermeasures. It should be stressed that some of the studies are still ongoing at the time of writing (May 2010). The project included two studies of the role of fatigue and sleepiness in road crashes. Crash victims filled in a survey which asked them about various aspects of sleep and sleepiness prior to the crash. The responses of these victims were compared to those of control subjects stopped on the road by the police and asked to fill in the same survey (administered by researchers). The studies were done in Sweden and France. This consolidated report includes only the results from the Swedish survey. The French study was delayed by financial complications but is now under way. Other experimental studies were carried out within the scope of ENT 15 to evaluate the effects of commonly used countermeasures such as: blue light, physical exercise, rolling down the window and turning on the CD player. These studies were done in France and in Sweden. The French studies were delayed by financial complications but is now under way. In addition to the experimental studies two reviews were carried out in the Netherlands. One summarizes the state-of-the-art of methods for counteracting sleepiness at the wheel while the other aims to map those risk factors associated with fatigued driving and discuss them in relation to appropriate interventions. Finally, two studies were also carried out in Norway: the first is an empirical study about rumble strip effectiveness, specifically in relation to fatigued driving; and the second is a comprehensive review of promising programmes for the management of fatigue by employing organisations. To summarize, the present projects have shown that road crashes can to a considerable extent be related to sleepiness. Putative countermeasures, such as rolling down the window or playing music on the CD player, have no alertness enhancing effects, whereas blue light has such effects, but may be problematic for some drivers due to dazzle during exposure. According to driver reports, rumble strips reduce the severity of fatigue-related accidents. Previous studies have shown that taking a break, ingesting caffeine and taking a nap are efficient countermeasures against sleepiness. There are also several promising approaches to preventing sleepiness at the wheel through various intervention programs. This includes fatigue risk management programmes, which require further evaluation. There is still a need for studies on other types of countermeasures, such as social interaction while driving, combination of alertness monitoring devices and evaluation of intervention programs. Individual differences in susceptibility to sleepiness are another important area of research. Most of the studies included focus on drivers of passenger cars. More knowledge about sleepy driving in professional drivers, especially truck and bus drivers, is needed with respect to the prevalence of sleepiness-related crashes, the underlying causes (e.g. the role of demanding work schedules and long work shifts) of severe sleepiness, and the effectiveness of commonly used countermeasures. (Author/publisher) This report may be accessed by Internet users at http://www.vti.se/EPiBrowser/Publikationer%20-%20English/N12A-2011.pdf
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