Young drivers who get less sleep at night are more likely to get involved in a crash accident. A new study by Alexandra L. C. Martiniuk, MSc, PhD, of The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia, and colleagues suggests.
The research team analysed the licenses granted and the police-reported crash data. They got the license receivers to fill a questionnaire about their daily habits.
On an average, those who slept six hours or less at night had an increased risk for crash compared with those who slept more than 6 hours. Also, less sleep on weekends was related strongly with an increased risk for crashes where the vehicle veers off the road. There was also a timing factor. The crashes seem to happen more between from 8pm and to 6am. Probably, the fatigue of not having slept properly the previous night and the need to compensate for the sleep may be the reasons for the crashes being observed at these times.
“This provides rationale for governments and health care providers to address sleep-related crashes among young drivers,” the study concludes.