Haraldsson P O, Akerstedt T
Institutionen för öron-, näs- och halssjukdomar, Karolinska institutet.
Lakartidningen. 2001 Jun 20;98(25):3018-23.
Stress and shortage of sleep may cause daytime somnolence and impaired vigilance at the wheel, especially among those suffering from sleep disturbances. According to the international consensus meeting in Stockholm in May of 2000 on "The sleepy driver and pilot--causes, risks and countermeasures", drowsy driving is an underestimated risk factor in official statistics, and as many as 15-30 percent of today's traffic accidents are related to drowsiness; thus it is an even greater risk factor than alcohol. Drowsy drivers suffer from inattention, impaired concentration and may even fall asleep at the wheel. Accidents during dozing result in three times as many fatalities as other accidents. There are a number of reasons for habitual drowsiness at the wheel aside from sleep deprivation, including rhonchopathy, shift work and jet lag, mental depression, insomnia, narcolepsy, endocrinological diseases, periodic limb movement disorder, medication, pain-disordered sleep, and heart disease. Among the most active drivers, i.e. middle aged men, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) has been found to be the most common reason for habitually drowsy driving. OSAS causes a 2-3 fold increased risk of traffic accidents, and it impairs simulated driving. Palatoplasty as well as nasal CPAP have been shown to improve vigilance and driving performance to an extent that the increase in risk is eliminated. Drivers suffering from habitual drowsiness and micro-sleep attacks forcing them to take repeated rests are at special risk. Even if they are as dangerous as drivers with unlawful blood alcohol levels they cannot be caught in a police checkpoint. However they often seek medial advice, and properly treated they may often return safely to traffic. If not, there could be a need to report them to the authorities so as to limit or prohibit their driving.
压力和睡眠不足可能导致白天嗜睡以及驾驶时警觉性下降,在那些有睡眠障碍的人群中尤为如此。根据2000年5月在斯德哥尔摩召开的关于“困倦的司机和飞行员——原因、风险及对策”的国际共识会议,困倦驾驶在官方统计中是一个被低估的风险因素,如今多达15%至30%的交通事故与困倦有关;因此,它是一个比酒精更大的风险因素。困倦的司机注意力不集中、注意力受损,甚至可能在驾驶时睡着。打瞌睡时发生的事故导致的死亡人数是其他事故的三倍。除了睡眠不足外,还有许多导致习惯性驾驶时困倦的原因,包括鼻鼾症、轮班工作和时差反应、精神抑郁、失眠、发作性睡病、内分泌疾病、周期性肢体运动障碍、药物、疼痛性睡眠障碍和心脏病。在最活跃的司机群体中,即中年男性,阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征(OSAS)已被发现是习惯性困倦驾驶最常见的原因。OSAS使交通事故风险增加2至3倍,并且会损害模拟驾驶。腭成形术以及鼻持续气道正压通气(CPAP)已被证明在一定程度上可提高警觉性和驾驶表现,从而消除风险增加的情况。患有习惯性困倦和微睡眠发作并因此被迫反复休息的司机处于特殊风险中。即使他们与血液酒精含量非法的司机一样危险,但在警方检查站却无法被查获。然而,他们常常会寻求医疗建议,经过适当治疗后,他们往往可以安全地重返驾驶。如果不这样做,可能有必要向当局报告他们,以便限制或禁止他们驾驶。