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Väsyneenä ajaminen : mikä on tilanne Suomessa? Radun, Igor ; Radun, Jenni

By: Contributor(s): Publication details: Helsingfors Liikenneturva. Tutkimuksia 123, 2008Description: 63 sISBN:
  • 9789515601599
Other title:
  • Fatigue and driving: the situation in Finland
Subject(s): Online resources: Abstract: In this report, we discussed several aspects of fatigued driving. The report was mainly based on the survey data collected during autumn 2007 on a representative sample of Finnish active drivers (N=1121). The general result and conclusion are that fatigue-related problems while driving are common among Finnish driving population: 19.5% of surveyed drivers have fallen asleep while driving at some point during their driving career, while 15.9% have reported being close to falling asleep or having difficulties staying awake while driving during the previous 12 months. Men reported falling asleep while driving 2.5 times more often than women. Although this is probably mostly due to different driving exposure, possible sex differences in evaluating fatigue-related risks have been discussed. Young male drivers were identified as one of the focus groups for fatigue safety campaigns. Self-reported sleep problems or disorders, identified using ESS (Epworth Sleepiness Scale) and GSD (Global Sleep Dissatisfaction) were good predictors of sleep-related incidents in this study. It was concluded that drivers with self-reported sleep problems might indeed be at high risk of falling asleep while driving. Sleep-related incidents showed a clear time-of-day pattern, with a large proportion occurring during the night. Almost two-thirds of the drivers were driving two hours or less before falling asleep behind the wheel. Most of the drivers (74%) who fell asleep tried to prevent it. However, misconceptions about fatigue countermeasures were common. Fatigue was rated as third important factor (after alcohol and speeding) causing road accidents. However, 63.1% of the respondents are against penalizing drivers who drive after being awake for more than 24 consecutive hours. Previous research on the topic is presented, as well as the summaries of authors' previous studies and preliminary results of ongoing research. The report ends with several general and direct recommendations for safety campaigns aiming at reducing fatigue-related accidents.
Item type: Reports, conferences, monographs
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In this report, we discussed several aspects of fatigued driving. The report was mainly based on the survey data collected during autumn 2007 on a representative sample of Finnish active drivers (N=1121). The general result and conclusion are that fatigue-related problems while driving are common among Finnish driving population: 19.5% of surveyed drivers have fallen asleep while driving at some point during their driving career, while 15.9% have reported being close to falling asleep or having difficulties staying awake while driving during the previous 12 months. Men reported falling asleep while driving 2.5 times more often than women. Although this is probably mostly due to different driving exposure, possible sex differences in evaluating fatigue-related risks have been discussed. Young male drivers were identified as one of the focus groups for fatigue safety campaigns. Self-reported sleep problems or disorders, identified using ESS (Epworth Sleepiness Scale) and GSD (Global Sleep Dissatisfaction) were good predictors of sleep-related incidents in this study. It was concluded that drivers with self-reported sleep problems might indeed be at high risk of falling asleep while driving. Sleep-related incidents showed a clear time-of-day pattern, with a large proportion occurring during the night. Almost two-thirds of the drivers were driving two hours or less before falling asleep behind the wheel. Most of the drivers (74%) who fell asleep tried to prevent it. However, misconceptions about fatigue countermeasures were common. Fatigue was rated as third important factor (after alcohol and speeding) causing road accidents. However, 63.1% of the respondents are against penalizing drivers who drive after being awake for more than 24 consecutive hours. Previous research on the topic is presented, as well as the summaries of authors' previous studies and preliminary results of ongoing research. The report ends with several general and direct recommendations for safety campaigns aiming at reducing fatigue-related accidents.