Sudhakar Jha
... Read More
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookie Policy.
Written By: Sudhakar Jha | Updated : September 20, 2018 10:29 PM IST
The researchers found that drivers who reported fewer than four hours of sleep had 15.1 times the chances of responsibility for car crashes © Shutterstock
We all know that less sleep affects us in ways more than one. And a new study has just confirmed that people who have slept for fewer than seven of the past 24 hours have higher odds of being involved in a car crash. And the risk is at the highest for those who have slept less than four hours.
While the dangers of driving in a sleepy state were already known, this is the first reviewed study to check on the correlation between how much a driver has slept and his or her risk of being responsible for a crash.
For this study, the team analysed data from a previous study by the U.S. Department of Transportation, which involved large investigations of 5,470 crashes, including interactions with the drivers involved in the accidents.
The researchers found that drivers who reported fewer than four hours of sleep had 15.1 times the chances of responsibility for car crashes, compared with drivers who slept for the stipulated seven to nine hours in the preceding 24-hour period.
The team also concluded that drivers who reported six, five, and four hours of sleep in the past 24 hours were 1.3, 1.9 and 2.9 times at risk of responsibility for a crash respectively.
The study, published in the journal Sleep, found that those who reported less than four hours of sleep had a particularly higher risk of single-vehicle crashes. And they also noted that those who had changed their sleep or work schedule in the past week and drivers who had been driving for 3 hours or longer without a break were also found to be at increased risk.
Study author Brian Tefft said in the paper, "Being awake isn't the same as being alert. Falling asleep isn't the only risk. Even if they manage to stay awake, sleep-deprived drivers are still at increased risk of making mistakes -- like failing to notice something important or misjudging a gap in traffic -- which can have tragic consequences."
