Sodiq Ojuroungbe
A recent study has suggested that those who drive and get less than five hours of sleep are more likely to get involved in road crashes, adding that drivers’ risk of a crash significantly increases with each hour of sleep lost the night before.
Referencing scientific evidence, the study recommended that it may be reasonable to require drivers to have a certain amount of sleep before getting behind the wheel.
The new finding published in Nature and Science of Sleep, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, maintained that people who had less than five hours of sleep are likely to behave like those intoxicated.
The researchers, a lecturer in Psychology, CQ University Australia, Madeline Sprajcer, and Director, Appleton Institute, CQ University Australia, Drew Dawson, evaluated scientific evidence got from laboratory and field studies that looked at how much prior sleep is required to drive safely.
The researchers, after synthesizing the findings of 61 unique studies, discovered that having less than four to five hours of sleep in the previous 24 hours is associated with an approximate doubling of the risk of a vehicle crash.
They also found that it is the same risk of a crash seen when drivers have a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05 percent.
It was further discovered that a driver’s risk of a crash significantly increases with each hour of sleep lost the night before.
The researchers noted, “If we were to align with the degree of risk considered acceptable for intoxication, we may consider requiring a minimum of four to five hours of sleep prior to driving.
“However, we must consider more than just the scientific evidence. For the most part, drinking alcohol is something individuals choose to do. Many people cannot decide to get more sleep—for example, new parents, shift workers, and people with sleep disorders. Not only that but for fatigued driving to be regulated, there would need to be significant public support.
“We must also consider how such a law would be implemented. There is no current way to evaluate fatigue at the roadside – no breath test or blood test that can evaluate how much sleep you have had, or how impaired you are.
“As a result, regulating fatigue would likely need to happen in the event of a crash. Was the driver impaired due to fatigue at the time, and are they therefore legally responsible?”
Continuing, they said, “We are currently consulting with a range of community members and road safety stakeholders on what the next step might be for regulating fatigued driving in Australia.
“Preliminary findings indicate that at the very least, more specific public education and guidance for drivers on how to avoid driving while fatigued would be welcomed. For example, easy-to-follow advice on how to decide whether or not you are too fatigued to drive would likely be well received.”
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