Journal article
Efficacy of proxy definitions for identification of fatigue/sleep-related crashes: an Australian evaluation
Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, Vol.21, pp.242-252
2013
Abstract
Fatigue/sleepiness is recognised as an important contributory factor in fatal and serious injury road traffic incidents (RTIs), however, identifying fatigue/sleepiness as a causal factor remains an uncertain science. Within Australia attending police officers at a RTI report the causal factors; one option is fatigue/sleepiness. In some Australian jurisdictions police incident databases are subject to post hoc analysis using a proxy definition for fatigue/sleepiness. This secondary analysis identifies further RTIs caused by fatigue/sleepiness not initially identified by attending officers. The current study investigates the efficacy of such proxy definitions for attributing fatigue/sleepiness as a RTI causal factor. Over 1600 Australian drivers were surveyed regarding their experience and involvement in fatigue/sleep-related RTIs and near-misses during the past five years. Driving while fatigued/sleepy had been experienced by the majority of participants (66.0% of participants). Fatigue/sleep-related near misses were reported by 19.1% of participants, with 2.4% being involved in a fatigue/sleep-related RTI. Examination of the characteristics for the most recent event (either a near miss or crash) found that the largest proportion of incidents (28.0%) occurred when commuting to or from work, followed by social activities (25.1%), holiday travel (19.8%), or for work purposes (10.1%). The fatigue/sleep related RTI and near-miss experience of a representative sample of Australian drivers does not reflect the proxy definitions used for fatigue/sleepiness identification. In particular those RTIs that occur in urban areas and at slow speeds may not be identified. While important to have a strategy for identifying fatigue/sleepiness related RTIs proxy measures appear best suited to identifying specific subsets of such RTIs.
Details
- Title
- Efficacy of proxy definitions for identification of fatigue/sleep-related crashes: an Australian evaluation
- Authors
- Kerry Ann Armstrong (Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyAshleigh J Filtness (Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyChristopher N Watling (Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyPeter Barraclough (Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyNarelle Haworth (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
- Publication details
- Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, Vol.21, pp.242-252
- Publisher
- Pergamon
- Date published
- 2013
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.trf.2013.10.002
- ISSN
- 1369-8478; 1369-8478
- Copyright note
- Copyright © 2013. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
- Organisation Unit
- Road Safety Research Collaboration; School of Social Sciences - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Law and Society
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99450726002621
- Output Type
- Journal article
- Research Statement
- false
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- Psychology, Applied
- Transportation
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