Effect of Drowsiness on Driver Performance and Traffic Safety

The occurrence of road traffic accidents is subjected to a variety of causes and one of them is drowsy driving. The presence of drowsy driving has been a critical contributor to road accidents worldwide. The purpose of this study is to analyze attitudes, behaviors, and opinions associated with fatigued or drowsy driving. The data were collected using a questionnaire-based survey in the United Arab Emirates and were descriptively analyzed. The results of the analysis showed that a wide number of drivers (71 percent) admitted that they drive while fatigued at least once a week. Out of all respondents, 27 percent admitted falling asleep behind the wheel before and 7 percent of them were involved in a crash related to nodding off. Moreover, the results also showed that most of the drivers prefer to either listen to the radio or talk to passengers to reduce drowsiness rather than stop and rest or nap. Overall, there is a need to raise awareness about the risk of drowsy driving since people tend to see other factors to be riskier. Also, this study highlights the necessity to counteract fatigued driving with treatments on-road and more education to the public. More research and crash data analysis are highly recommended to reach a clear conclusion and suggest certain treatments.