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Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Aromatherapy and Facial Cues to Keep Drivers Awake
An auto manufacturer announced that they were developing a system to track facial cues that indicate that a driver may be falling asleep at the wheel and then use the car's air conditioning system to adjust the temperature and humidity to create an optimal environment to keep the driver awake. The system goes further using aromatherapy to give a blast of aromas designed to increase alertness in the driver. This is just one of several systems in the works to recognize and prevent drowsy driving.
Drowsy driving is a serious issue on America's highways. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that, based on police reports there are an average of:
The NHTSA feels these figures fall short of the full amount because they depend on vehicle occupants reporting drowsy driving to the police as a cause factor in the crash.
Studies show that America is a sleep deprived nation with 37% of drivers reporting that they have nodded off or fallen asleep at the wheel, 29% of those within the previous year and 10% within the previous month. That means that up to 75 million drivers have nodded off or fallen asleep at the wheel within the previous month.
With figures like that, the need for some kind of system to alert drivers before they fall asleep becomes apparent however some proposed systems seem to show more promise than others. The system that uses aromatherapy to heighten alertness could have a couple of problems. The system uses a camera trained on the driver and facial recognition software to recognize when a driver starts to yawn. A joint study by the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) and Sabanci University in Turkey found that yawning was ineffective as a predictor because, as someone starts to fall asleep, they yawn less, not more.
Studies designed to measure the effectiveness of aromatherapy have shown that the effect of aromatherapy may be due more to the placebo effect rather than any actual physical effects; that is, the user expects the aroma to work and thus reports a positive effect. A recent study by the University of Ohio looked at the effectiveness of lemon and lavender oils to improve mood. The experiment's subjects were put under a mild stress and then were exposed to cotton balls soaked in lemon oil, lavender oil, and water as a control. Some subjects were "primed" by being told what odor to expect while others were not. The results showed that the subjects, when told what aroma to expect, reported an improved mood more often after they were exposed to the water soaked cotton balls than the ones soaked in lavender oil. Blood pressure and blood chemical tests taken before and after exposure, showed no significant change in blood pressure or mood elevating chemicals.
In a German study designed to test aromatherapy's ability to increase alertness subjects were given cognitive tests before and after exposure to aromatic oils. A control group was tested without exposure to the oils. The study showed no statistical difference between those exposed to aromas and the control group.
Other systems that are under development to detect drowsiness in a driver show a little more promise. The UCSD program looked beyond yawning as a predictor for drowsiness. This program looked at 45 different points on the face. The study found that there were many more facial cues such as raised eyebrows, as the subjects fought to keep their eyes open, increased eye blinking, and other cues. The facial recognition software is designed to recognize all of those facial cues to predict that a driver may be drowsy. Different facial cues, along with erratic steering inputs, seem to show the best promise as a predictor for drowsy driving.
Mercedes has spent ten years developing a system that uses multiple cues and then sounds an audible alarm along with a flashing coffee cup icon on the dashboard display to warn the driver that he or she may be falling asleep.
These systems show some promise in their ability to warn a driver but the danger in these systems come when drivers depend on the system to give adequate warning instead of getting plenty of rest before hitting the road. A number of technological advances have been developed to make driving safer but safety experts warn that drivers may tend to rely too heavily on the technology rather than their own responsibility to be rested, alert, and paying attention to the driving environment ahead and around them. No matter how good the technology, it is still the driver's responsibility to be in full control of the vehicle.
Labels: alert drivers, driver safety, drowsy driving, sleep
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Tips for Safe Summer Driving: Avoiding Drowsy Driving
Summer vacation can be a time to relax and recharge, but can also be very hectic. Americans tend to try to pack as much into a short time as possible. If you are driving on your vacation this summer and packing in a lot of all-day activities, you could find yourself guilty of DWD (Driving While Drowsy).
As a society we are sleep-deprived. There seem to be too many things to do in a day, and we often sacrifice sleep to meet other demands. But sacrificing as little as one to two hours of sleep can affect the ability to stay awake during the day. Traffic safety experts have recognized that driving while sleepy is just as great a threat as driving under the influence:
If you are packing in a full day at a theme park or a beach, you should be aware that all the activity under a hot sun will dehydrate, weaken, and tire you. Planning to hit the road for a long trip after a full day's activities could set you up for disaster. Nodding off at the wheel for only a very short time, which sleep experts refer to as microsleep, is extremely dangerous. Microsleep is an episode in which someone who is sleep-deprived nods off from a fraction of a second up to thirty seconds. If you are traveling at highway speeds of up to 70 mph, your car will travel 102 feet in just one second. Dozing off for only a second or two is long enough for your vehicle to leave the road or veer into the path of another vehicle.
Are you at risk for driving while drowsy? Before you drive, check to see if you are:
Many motorists try to drive late at night to avoid traffic congestion on long trips. If you are planning a long trip, don't make the mistake of planning to drive at a time other than your normal waking hours. Don’t drive long distances after a full day of vacation activities.
When you are driving, these are the signs that you should pull off the road and rest:
The National Sleep Foundation offers the following tips for drivers before hitting the road:
Once you are on the road, follow these guidelines to avoid driving while drowsy:
Have a safe and enjoyable summer vacation.
As a society we are sleep-deprived. There seem to be too many things to do in a day, and we often sacrifice sleep to meet other demands. But sacrificing as little as one to two hours of sleep can affect the ability to stay awake during the day. Traffic safety experts have recognized that driving while sleepy is just as great a threat as driving under the influence:
•Studies show that 37% of drivers report having nodded off or fallen asleep while driving; 29% report that they have experienced this problem in the last year, and 10% in the last month. That means about 75 million drivers have nodded off in the last month.
•More than one-third (35%) of drivers who nodded off while driving within the past six months say their last experience occurred between 6:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. An additional 17% report they nodded off between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
•Slightly more than one in five (22%) drivers who recently experienced a drowsy driving episode report having been on the road driving for five or more hours; nearly half (47%) were driving for an hour or less.
•National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data shows that, over the past few years, there have been about 56,000 crashes annually in which driver fatigue or drowsiness was cited by police as the cause. Those crashes caused approximately 40,000 non-fatal injuries and 1,550 fatal injuries per year.
If you are packing in a full day at a theme park or a beach, you should be aware that all the activity under a hot sun will dehydrate, weaken, and tire you. Planning to hit the road for a long trip after a full day's activities could set you up for disaster. Nodding off at the wheel for only a very short time, which sleep experts refer to as microsleep, is extremely dangerous. Microsleep is an episode in which someone who is sleep-deprived nods off from a fraction of a second up to thirty seconds. If you are traveling at highway speeds of up to 70 mph, your car will travel 102 feet in just one second. Dozing off for only a second or two is long enough for your vehicle to leave the road or veer into the path of another vehicle.
Are you at risk for driving while drowsy? Before you drive, check to see if you are:
•Sleep-deprived or fatigued (6 hours of sleep or less triples your risk)
•Suffering from sleep loss (insomnia), poor quality sleep, or a sleep debt
•Driving long distances without proper rest breaks
•Driving through the night, in mid-afternoon, or when you would normally be asleep
•Taking sedating medications (antidepressants, cold tablets, antihistamines)
•Drinking even small amounts of alcohol
•Driving alone or on a long, rural, dark or boring road
Many motorists try to drive late at night to avoid traffic congestion on long trips. If you are planning a long trip, don't make the mistake of planning to drive at a time other than your normal waking hours. Don’t drive long distances after a full day of vacation activities.
When you are driving, these are the signs that you should pull off the road and rest:
•Difficulty focusing, frequent blinking, or heavy eyelids
•Daydreaming; wandering/disconnected thoughts
•Trouble remembering the last few miles driven; missing exits or traffic signs
•Yawning repeatedly or rubbing your eyes
•Trouble keeping your head up
•Drifting from your lane, tailgating, or hitting a shoulder rumble strip
•Feeling restless and irritable
The National Sleep Foundation offers the following tips for drivers before hitting the road:
•Get a good night's sleep. While this varies from individual to individual, sleep experts recommend between 7-9 hours of sleep per night for adults and 8 1/2-9 1/2 for teens.
•Plan to drive long trips with a companion. Passengers can help look for early warning signs of fatigue or switch drivers when needed. Passengers should stay awake to talk to the driver.
•Schedule regular stops every 100 miles or every two hours.
•Avoid alcohol and medications (over-the-counter or prescribed) that may impair performance. Alcohol interacts with fatigue, increasing its effects - just like drinking on an empty stomach.
Once you are on the road, follow these guidelines to avoid driving while drowsy:
•Take a 15 to 20-minute nap. More than a 20-minute nap can make you groggy for at least five minutes after awakening.
•Consume the equivalent of two cups of coffee. Caffeine is available in various forms (e.g. soft drinks, energy drinks, coffee, tea, chewing gum, and tablets) and amounts; but remember that caffeine takes about 30 minutes to enter the bloodstream and will not greatly affect those who regularly consume it. Try taking caffeine and then a short nap to get the benefits of both.
•If you are sleep-deprived, don't rely on heavily caffeinated drinks to keep you awake. Once the caffeine wears off, your body will demand sleep.
Have a safe and enjoyable summer vacation.
Labels: driver safety tips, driving tips, drowsy driving, sleep, summer driving, summer vacation, thanksgiving traffic safety
Monday, May 04, 2009
Fatigue Cited As Factor in Bus Crash
Recent Hearing Results in Eight New Motor Coach Safety Recommendations
While watching a movie in the back row of a charter bus on the way home from a weekend ski trip, Maurice and Teresa Washington’s lives were shattered forever.
On the night of Jan. 6, 2008, their bus rounded a bend on a rural two-lane Utah highway at an estimated 88-92 mph, hurled through a guardrail and crashed down an embankment. The roof was sheared off and 51 of its 53 occupants were tossed from the bus. Nine passengers, including the Washingtons' 12-year-old son, were killed. Forty-three others, including the Peoria, Ariz., duo, were injured.
At the recent hearing, which the Washingtons attended, the National Transportation Safety Board said the most likely cause of the accident was the 71-year-old driver’s fatigue, which led him to underestimate his speed and slowed his reaction time.
In a surprising move, however, the board also voted unanimously to place partial blame on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s failure to implement 10-year-old motorcoach safety recommendations as a contributing factor in the crash's severity.
"I am extremely disappointed watching NHTSA crawl toward the standard we have asked them to make," acting board Chairman Mark Rosenker said.
The NTSB investigates accidents and makes safety recommendations, while the NHTSA implements regulations.
The NHTSA declined to comment on the board's action, but spokesman Rae Tyson but said the agency was "working very hard" on safety standards for such vehicles. He said extensive crash tests were conducted in 2007.
The Washingtons, however, said they were deeply upset by the extended delay in implementing the safety regulations.
"There have been multiple other bus crashes. These same types of events keep happening over and over again," said Teresa Washington, 43. "There are recommendations being made that are not being taken by the agencies that have the ability to make these kind of changes that would save people's lives and lessen injuries."
Recently, the NTSB made eight new safety recommendations to federal and state government agencies, trade associations and the motorcoach operator, Busco Inc., in business as Arrow Stage Lines of Omaha, Nebraska. One recommendation is to design and execute criteria based on traffic patterns, passenger volume and bus types that can be used to evaluate the risks of rural travel by large buses.
Investigators laid out a scenario that reveals the circumstances that combined to worsen the accident. The bus was part of a convoy of 17 chartered buses carrying 800 people. A high mountain pass was closed due to heavy snow, which forced the buses to take a longer route back to Phoenix.
Welland Lotan, who was operating the bus, suffered from sleep apnea and in days before the accident had difficulty using a device to regulate his breathing while sleeping. He was also suffering from head congestion and may have been a victim of altitude sickness.
In the foul weather and darkness, and maybe fatigue, Lotan made a wrong turn and was on a road that was off route when the accident happened. A witness drove eight miles to Mexican Hat, the nearest town, to call 911 on a telephone. The snow and wind prevented medical helicopters from responding to the accident, and it was it took an hour before the first emergency crew arrived. The closest hospital with a trauma unit was roughly 190 miles away in Flagstaff, Ariz.
In 1999, the board recommended that safety standards for motorcoach roofs be strengthened, that buses have easy-to-open windows that are shatterproof and that steps be taken, including possibly mandating seat belts to prevent passengers from being ejected in rollovers. Several board members expressed dissatisfaction that those recommendations still have not been implemented.
NHTSA has "left motorcoaches back in the '60s and '70s," Rosenker said. "It's time now. It's not like the technology doesn't exist."
Along with motor vehicle safety, driver education helps ensure the safety of Americans. Whether you're getting your Commercial Drivers License, your Learner's Permit, or your Motorcycle License, America's Driver's License Headquarters is TestQuestionsandAnswers.com.
While watching a movie in the back row of a charter bus on the way home from a weekend ski trip, Maurice and Teresa Washington’s lives were shattered forever.
On the night of Jan. 6, 2008, their bus rounded a bend on a rural two-lane Utah highway at an estimated 88-92 mph, hurled through a guardrail and crashed down an embankment. The roof was sheared off and 51 of its 53 occupants were tossed from the bus. Nine passengers, including the Washingtons' 12-year-old son, were killed. Forty-three others, including the Peoria, Ariz., duo, were injured.
At the recent hearing, which the Washingtons attended, the National Transportation Safety Board said the most likely cause of the accident was the 71-year-old driver’s fatigue, which led him to underestimate his speed and slowed his reaction time.
In a surprising move, however, the board also voted unanimously to place partial blame on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s failure to implement 10-year-old motorcoach safety recommendations as a contributing factor in the crash's severity.
"I am extremely disappointed watching NHTSA crawl toward the standard we have asked them to make," acting board Chairman Mark Rosenker said.
The NTSB investigates accidents and makes safety recommendations, while the NHTSA implements regulations.
The NHTSA declined to comment on the board's action, but spokesman Rae Tyson but said the agency was "working very hard" on safety standards for such vehicles. He said extensive crash tests were conducted in 2007.
The Washingtons, however, said they were deeply upset by the extended delay in implementing the safety regulations.
"There have been multiple other bus crashes. These same types of events keep happening over and over again," said Teresa Washington, 43. "There are recommendations being made that are not being taken by the agencies that have the ability to make these kind of changes that would save people's lives and lessen injuries."
Recently, the NTSB made eight new safety recommendations to federal and state government agencies, trade associations and the motorcoach operator, Busco Inc., in business as Arrow Stage Lines of Omaha, Nebraska. One recommendation is to design and execute criteria based on traffic patterns, passenger volume and bus types that can be used to evaluate the risks of rural travel by large buses.
Investigators laid out a scenario that reveals the circumstances that combined to worsen the accident. The bus was part of a convoy of 17 chartered buses carrying 800 people. A high mountain pass was closed due to heavy snow, which forced the buses to take a longer route back to Phoenix.
Welland Lotan, who was operating the bus, suffered from sleep apnea and in days before the accident had difficulty using a device to regulate his breathing while sleeping. He was also suffering from head congestion and may have been a victim of altitude sickness.
In the foul weather and darkness, and maybe fatigue, Lotan made a wrong turn and was on a road that was off route when the accident happened. A witness drove eight miles to Mexican Hat, the nearest town, to call 911 on a telephone. The snow and wind prevented medical helicopters from responding to the accident, and it was it took an hour before the first emergency crew arrived. The closest hospital with a trauma unit was roughly 190 miles away in Flagstaff, Ariz.
In 1999, the board recommended that safety standards for motorcoach roofs be strengthened, that buses have easy-to-open windows that are shatterproof and that steps be taken, including possibly mandating seat belts to prevent passengers from being ejected in rollovers. Several board members expressed dissatisfaction that those recommendations still have not been implemented.
NHTSA has "left motorcoaches back in the '60s and '70s," Rosenker said. "It's time now. It's not like the technology doesn't exist."
Along with motor vehicle safety, driver education helps ensure the safety of Americans. Whether you're getting your Commercial Drivers License, your Learner's Permit, or your Motorcycle License, America's Driver's License Headquarters is TestQuestionsandAnswers.com.
Labels: driver safety, drowsy driving, sleep, vehicle crashs
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