An examination of common coping strategies used to combat driver fatigue.

Driver fatigue is recognized as an important highway safety risk. Many organizations have published recommendations for coping with driver fatigue. The authors explored the effectiveness of 10 common coping strategies, using a case-controlled design to examine the use of coping strategies among a random sample of college students (N = 301). The students were questioned about their use of coping strategies for driver fatigue and their record of having experienced a dozing-related incident. Odds ratios were calculated and 4 strategies--taking a walk, drinking caffeinated beverages, stopping for a nap, and chewing ice--were found to predict an incident. Three other strategies, snacking, rolling the window down, and talking with a passenger, were found to be protective.

Descriptive epidemiology of dozing and driving in a college student population.

Driving while fatigued is a serious risk-taking behavior among college students. Accident data were reviewed and a behavioral risk factor survey undertaken at a large private university. The findings indicated that 86 motor vehicle fatalities occurred among students at the university in the last 15 years. The authors estimated that falling asleep at the wheel may have caused 62 of these accidents and that more than 3,000 students experience a driving-dozing incident annually, resulting in a yearly average of 200 injury accidents and 4 fatalities. Descriptive epidemiologic data are presented and implications for health promotion efforts are discussed.