European Regulation of Road Transportation Versus Real Life Conditions of Work of 227 Truck Drivers. P. Philip and J. Taillard, Clinique du sommeil, CHU Bordeaux, 33076 France; T. Akerstedt, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden; and B. Bioulac, Clinique du sommeil, CHU Bordeaux, 33076 France
Introduction
The European legislation has imposed regulations (EU 3820/85 and 3821/85) on the trucking industry. Regulations cover different aspects: the amount of time that the trucker is allowed to drive during a 24 hour period (10 hours), and the amount of rest that the driver must take in the same 24 hour period (8 hours). The rationale behind the legislation is to reduce « fatigue » related accidents.
Objectives of the study
To investigate the sleep-wake behaviour and performance of a random sample of drivers, who stopped at a truck stop on a major European highway, after implementation of the European legislation on road transportation.
Design and settings
The drivers responded to a questionnaire on sleep-wake habits and its disorders. They were asked to fill in sleep log, concerning the usual work and rest during the past three months. Finally they had to perform a 10 minute simple reaction time test.
Results
227 drivers, mean age 37.7 ± 8.4 years, (96.2 % acceptance rate) participated in the study. The drivers have a fairly consistent total nocturnal sleep time Monday through Thursday. During the two first nights at home there is an increase in total nocturnal sleep time. On the last night at home, just prior to the new work week, there is an abrupt « phase advance » associated with a decrease in nocturnal sleep time. Driver’s performance is clearly affected by sleep restriction. Finally, 16.9% of the drivers had been awake more than 16 hours and driving during their trip.
Conclusion
Long periods of wakefulness associated with sleep deprivation constitute serious risk factors for truck drivers. If the current legislation is aimed at improving road safety, undoubtedly, it deserve amendments : important factors (sleep schedules, location of sleep in the 24 hours and total sleep time) are never considered in the law.
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