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Fatigue Linked to Road Accidents in the UAE
DUBAI - Fatigue due to lack of sleep could be putting drivers at risk, warn health experts.
“Fatigue could be a significant contributing factor in many of the road traffic accidents in the country,” says Dr Andrew Devine, Specialist Family Medicine at The City Hospital.
“Being tired has three main effects on driving; it slows reaction time, it impairs co-ordination and it affects judgement. The worse case scenario for road users is when a driver falls asleep completely, because if they do, they are likely to be travelling at a high speed at the time.
“The vehicle in this case becomes an unguided missile with potentially catastrophic consequences,” says Dr Mohammed Salah, Head of the Emergency and Trauma Department at Medcare Hospital in Jumeirah.
Just one hour less sleep a night for a week reduces cognitive function while carrying out complex tasks. “What does this mean to us in our everyday lives? We could be putting our children in danger when we drive them to school in the morning if we haven’t had a proper night’s sleep.
“This could be due to a decrease in reaction times which can lead to delay in decision making and increasing the chance of becoming involved in a road accident,” says Dr Devine.
A report by Dubai Taxi found that many of the emirate’s taxi drivers are putting in so many hours on the road that they are at risk of dozing off when driving.
Studies have shown that driving while tired is almost as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol.
Researchers in the UK found that driving after 17 to 18 hours of being awake is as harmful as driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 per cent, which is the maximum legal limit in many countries.
Research has also shown that it is men under 30 who are the likeliest to be in an accident caused by sleep deprivation.
“The demographics and lifestyle of the population of the UAE shows that there is a real risk of incidences of people driving when they are drowsy,” said Dr Salah.
“Many who live and work here are young, have busy lives and do a lot of driving. There is a real ‘work-hard, play-hard’ ethic in this part of the world and when people push themselves by spending many hours at work, then follow that by socialising late into the evening, something has to give and that something is usually sleep,” he added.
According to expert neurologists from Switzerland-based Clinique La Prairie, four out of ten people suffer from sleep related problems. Insomnia is becoming one of the most widespread complaints, they say.
Dr Devine also says that there could be other consequences of reduced sleep that affect the immune system and reduce the ability to fight infections.
“It also interrupts the release of growth hormones particularly important in the growth of children and young adults,” he adds.
“Make sure that you are well rested before you take to the roads,” advises Dr Salah. “A passenger can help keep you awake through the stimulus of providing conversation.”
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com
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