Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems

• Yawning or trouble keeping eyes open
• Nodding off or trouble keeping your head up
• Forgetting the most recent miles traveled
• Missing your exit
• Trouble maintaining your speed
• Drifting out of your lane
• Hitting a rumble strip
  
  

Only half of drivers in one study of sleep-related crashes reported
they felt drowsy prior to their crash. Stutts, 1999.

• Ages 16-24  (80% more likely to be in drowsy driving crash)
• Males  (60% more likely to be in a drowsy driving crash)
• Shift workers
• Those with untreated sleep disorders, and those who snore.
• Those using sedating medicines
• Those driving long, high speed or rural highways, especially at night

• shift work
• medications
• drinking alcohol
• untreated sleep disorders
• cumulative sleep debt

• Call for a taxi/ride share service or ride with a co-worker
• Carpool with  others and talk to them
• Drink a caffeinated  beverage at least 20 minutes prior to driving
• Pull over somewhere safe and take a 20 minute nap
  Note:  opening car windows,turning on A/C, and listening to loud music have not been found to be reliably helpful!

• Arrange your work and home schedule to encourage 7+ hours of sleep per night
• Arrange a nap option and location at work for during long/overnight shifts
• Plan to use public transportation or ride services when you expect to be short on sleep
• Take and use vacation days and catch up on your sleep
• Avoid using depressant-type of medications or alcohol prior to any driving
• Get checked by a professional sleep specialist if you think you have a sleep disorder affecting the quality or quantity of your sleep

• National Road Safety Foundation, http://www.nrsf.org/programs/drowsy-driving.
• Governor’s Highway Safety Association,  “Wake Up Call:  Understanding Drowsy Driving and What the States can Do.”   http://www.ghsa.org/sites/default/files/2016-11/FINALdrowsy2016.pdf 
• National Sleep Foundation. www.sleepfoundation.org 
• Watson, NF et al.  “Confronting Drowsy Driving:  the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Perspective.”  J Clin Sleep Med 2015;11(11): 1335-1336.
• Tefft, BC.  “Prevalence of motor vehicle crashes involving drowsy drivers.” U.S.  2009-2013. AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.  Nov 2014:  1-8. Available at:  https://www.aaafoundation.org/prevalence-motor-vehicle-crashes-involving-drowsy-drivers-us-2009-2013.
• http://drowsydriving.org/2012/11/national -sleep-foundation-white-paper-on-drowsy-driving/  
• American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic safety, 2010. Asleep At The Wheel:  the prevalence and impact of drowsy driving.
  http://www.aaafoundation.org//pdf/2010DrowsyDrivingReport.pdf
• NASEMSO’s “Developing Evidence-Based Fatigue Risk Management Guidelines”
  https://www.nasemso.org/Projects/Fatigue-in-EMS/index.asp

Fatigue Management Guidelines

• To learn more about participating in the campaign, contact cps@miemss.org
• Current campaign participants can access the campaign evaluation form here
• "Drowsy Driving  Prevention PSA for EMS Providers" (:30)
• "Drowsy Driving Prevention PSA for Healthcare Providers" (:30)