Author/Editor     Bilban, Marjan
Title     Utrujenost (zaspanost) mladih voznikov za volanom
Translated title     Sleepiness as a cause of traffic accidents in young drivers
Type     članek
Source     In: Strokovno gradivo 7. mednarodna konferenca Globalna varnost 2006: za večjo varnost pri delu in v cestnem prometu; 2006; Bled. Ljubljana: Planet GV,
Publication year     2006
Volume     str. 111-21
Language     slo
Abstract     The criteria for recognizing sleepiness as a cause of traffic accidents are suspicious and ambiguous, therefore it comes to no surprise that some studies have identified sleepiness as the cause of accidents in 1% of all cases, while other in as much as 20%. Numerous have however demonstrated a connection between sleep loss and the incidence of traffic accidents among young drivers. Sleepiness depends largely on the circadian rithm, making the danger biggest from 2-3 AM, 6-7 AM and 4-5 PM. Most vulnerable are drivers whose work includes sleep deprivation and job shifts, people with sleeping disorders and people taking sleep inducing medicine or drugs. Drivers are not aware of the hipnotic influence of the highway or of the dangers of driving without being able to pay attention to the road. Young males driving on wide straight sections of the road fall asleep most often. By increasing the awareness of the public and counceling to young drivers and to people with sleeping disorders we can contribute to the prevention of traffic accidents caused by sleepiness. Regular preventive medical examinations of all licensed drivers would also help, as would acomplete ban on alcohol and narcotics consumption prior to driving.
Descriptors     AUTOMOBILE DRIVING
ACCIDENTS, TRAFFIC
SLEEP
FATIGUE
SEX FACTORS
AGE FACTORS