An experiment conducted with 27-year-old triplets reveals the dangerous effects of drowsy driving and driving with no sleep, reports The Huddersfield Daily Examiner.
The terrifying effects of sleep deprivation on driving skills can be seen in this experimental video.
Hitting the road while tired can be akin to being drunk behind the wheel, a new study has shown.
Commissioned by Huddersfield firm Time4Sleep.co.uk, the experiment worked with 27-year-old triplets Robert, Stephen and Patrick Davis, who were tested on their driving skills after a full night’s sleep, dirsupted sleep, and no sleep, respectively.
The disrupted sleep pattern was designed to imitate that of a parent with a newborn baby.
They took part in a Transport Research Laboratory simulation replicating 90 minutes on the motorway in a real car. They were instruction to stay in the inside lane of the three-lane motorway and drive a constant speed of 60mph.
The triplets were also asked to rate their own sleepiness and flash their headlights when a red bar appeared on the simulator to test their reaction times. A heart rate monitor gave alerts when the triplets heart rate dropped to a level classed as ‘fatigued’.
