Why do we fall asleep while driving? What causes the microsleep that sometimes takes us by surprise while we are traveling, especially at night or after a meal? The problem of microsleep is often linked to dyssomnia, or disorders that prevent the individual from falling asleep or cause him to wake up early: it threatens health and involves 45% of the world’s population; practically one driver in two could have had problems with sleep, even unknowingly, before getting behind the wheel and therefore be at risk of the so-called microsleep.
Who falls asleep at the wheel
Drivers aged 18 to 29 face an increased risk of road crashes, particularly due to excessive drowsiness. This age group is unexpectedly more likely to be involved in a crash while driving due to drowsiness than older drivers (71% versus 19% of drivers aged 65 and older).
Drowsiness while driving: who is at risk?
In addition to young people (who are often deprived of normal sleep due to an incorrect lifestyle), some specific groups of people are particularly sensitive to drowsiness while driving, in particular:
1. Men between the ages of 20 and 30; this category is more likely to drive when tired or drowsy and this behavior usually occurs between midnight and 6 am.
2. individuals who work shifts (long or rotating), who often accumulate a sleep debt and form another important group of subjects at risk of drowsy driving.
3. Commercial drivers (trucks), bus drivers, and tractor trailer drivers are often on the road for many hours without a break. This makes them more likely to fall asleep at the wheel.
4. Individuals with untreated sleep disorders (OSAS sleep apnea, narcolepsy or other sleep disorders) tend to fall asleep easily during the day, even when driving.
5. Individuals using medications that can induce drowsiness (prescribed for various medical conditions) are a particular risk group and should be aware of the risks that these therapies pose to alertness levels before getting behind the wheel.
6. Frequent flyers (with time zone changes) or people with social jetlag (due to work demands) often have difficulty adapting their bodies to the limited opportunities for adequate sleep. These include business travelers, truck drivers on the road, and commuters.
Many people are particularly susceptible to drowsiness while driving
Falling asleep at the wheel: when should you stop?
One of the reasons that makes driving and driving when tired and drowsy so dangerous is that people do not know the exact moment when sleep will be able to overcome their body’s defense mechanisms. This happens behind the wheel as well as in bed or on a sofa. We are talking about the insidious microsleep. Excluding pathological situations, microsleep, tiredness and drowsiness send us clear signals that invite us to immediately pull over the vehicle we are driving and stop for a break.
How to notice drowsiness while driving
Among the main warning signs of a driver falling asleep at the wheel is a burning sensation in the eyes that also leads us to close them frequently, with difficulty focusing on the images in front of us and keeping our head straight. Other warning signs are the sudden maneuvers we make to maintain the trajectory and avoid skidding, difficulty understanding road signs, slower reaction times and a general drop in attention.
At the first symptoms of drowsiness you should immediately approach
Sleep disturbances, tiredness and drowsiness while driving: how to avoid them
Can we take proactive measures to avoid fatigue, drowsiness, and sleepiness while driving? Sure, but let’s rely on the advice of experts – rather than empirical solutions – to safely travel the last few kilometers that separate us from our destination. A study by the Foundation for Research and Treatment of Sleep Disorders Onlus found that stopping and taking a short nap in the car is the only antidote to combat fatigue and drowsiness while driving.
But only 4% of those interviewed allow themselves a short rest. The others give free rein to their imagination. Who hasn’t tried at least once in their life to open the window, changing the air in the passenger compartment, turning up the volume on the radio, calling a friend or even increasing the speed thinking that this would make them more attentive? Well, all these precautions are wrong and should be absolutely avoided in case of tiredness, drowsiness and microsleep.
Recommendations before getting behind the wheel
Before getting behind the wheel, the recommendation is first of all to be aware of any sleep disorders that cause drowsiness, due to illnesses and related medications that we are taking. If possible, long journeys or numerous breaks should be avoided altogether, especially if you did not sleep adequately for at least 5 hours the night before.
Smart departures, on Sunday after dinner to return from the sea, or at dawn after mid-August are to be avoided because our biorhythm is not used to it. Once behind the wheel, stop immediately if you feel tired or sleepy, go to the first bar and have a nice long coffee, whose effect will last for about an hour, no more.
A short nap in the car may be the solution to drowsiness while driving
Drowsiness, ADAS systems come to our aid
To prevent and combat the consequences of tiredness and drowsiness while driving, the valid suggestion in all cases is to choose cars equipped with specific ADAS devices. These devices, born and widespread on practically all large sedans and SUVs for travel, have now arrived and are also available on many city cars.
ADAS night driving assistance
From recognizing and maintaining a safe distance, to reading horizontal markings, to recognizing road signs such as speed limits or no-entry signs. All these devices are useful in preventing tiredness and drowsiness from taking over while driving. The latest frontier are devices that read the driver’s force and movements on the steering wheel, accelerator and brake and recognize the onset of tiredness and drowsiness. Additional systems for reading eyelid and eye movement help prevent microsleep with visual and then acoustic signals.
Bosch Virtual Visor, a transparent sun visor connected to the interior monitoring camera that detects the position of the driver’s eyes using intelligent algorithms
If you do not have a car equipped with devices to recognize tiredness and drowsiness, you can always buy one, such as bracelets capable of emitting an annoying sound or a flash via smartphone, or even reflexometers.
Fine for falling asleep while driving
What does the law say about microsleep? As we have already said, 90% of microsleep events are predictable because tiredness and drowsiness send us clear signals that should induce us to stop. Microsleep therefore cannot be considered a cause of force majeure because, as also reiterated by the Court of Cassation, when we get behind the wheel we have the duty to ensure that we have the psycho-physical conditions necessary to maintain control of the vehicle. A duty on a par with checking that the vehicle has the necessary technical conditions and inspections (MOT, tires, etc.).
There is therefore no excuse for those who fall asleep at the wheel. The Highway Code states that “the driver must always maintain control of his vehicle and be able to perform all necessary maneuvers in safety, especially the timely stopping of the vehicle within the limits of his field of vision and in front of any foreseeable obstacle”. In this case, you risk a fine of 41 to 168 euros, which are added to any other violations committed inadvertently due to the same tiredness and drowsiness, such as, for example, running a red light or crossing an intersection without giving priority.
In the event of an accident, the penalties will be higher and proportionate to the damage caused: if you hit a person, you are liable for the crime of negligent injury and, worse, road homicide in the event of the death of the person hit. Furthermore, according to a recent ruling by the TAR of Tuscany, a driver who falls asleep causing a road accident could also have his license reviewed.
This possibility occurs only if the police forces that intervened at the scene of the accident have ascertained that tiredness and drowsiness were the causes of the accident, but it certainly discourages many drivers, even professional ones, from investigating any sleep disorders such as sleep apnea which, if certified, would lead to a certain revision of the license.
Drowsiness in the car also makes us risk a fine from 41 to 168 euros. BEWARE!
Drowsiness while driving
The video shows a driver who fell asleep at the wheel and narrowly avoided an accident.
Video of falling asleep at the wheel of a car
Road accidents caused by sleep in Italy account for an average of over 2,000 deaths and 150,000 injuries per year. It is therefore clear how important it is to know this risk factor of sleep and thus contribute to its prevention. The statistics do not say much more because often when analyzing an accident we limit ourselves to noting distraction or other more obvious factors such as excessive speed and weather conditions as the cause of the accident.
Sleep disturbances and drowsiness, although at the origin of many accidents, are still underestimated as determining risk factors.
Drowsiness while driving is one of the main causes of road accidents
Accidents caused by drowsiness while driving
The probability of being involved in road accidents caused by sleep disturbances, tiredness and drowsiness increases significantly. Sleeping little, less than 5 hours or not at all, having alcohol levels equal to or greater than 1.00 g/l, having taken tranquilizers or cannabis significantly increases the probability of being involved in or causing a road accident due to falling asleep while driving.
Among sleep disorders, it is worth mentioning Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) – the most frequent among pathological sleep disorders – which generates a risk while driving up to 7 times greater than for a healthy person.
Drowsiness leads to a total lack of control over the vehicle
The microsleep while driving that comes from these situations causes more serious road accidents due to the total lack of control of the vehicle by the driver. Let’s not forget those who work behind the wheel of a car or truck who, due to the increase in driving hours, are more likely to experience tiredness and drowsiness with the related dangers of accidents.
→ See also EEC Directive Directive 2014/85/EU on driving licence renewal and obstructive sleep apnea syndromes → Drowsiness while driving due to obstructive sleep apnea
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