More than a quarter of Dutch motorists are occasionally guilty of sleep-deprived driving. Nearly 60% of them continue to drive when drowsy, according to a survey by the Dutch Association for Sleep and Wake Research (NSWO).
Ten percent of motorists are so sleep-deprived that even they themselves consider it dangerous to drive. These are the most striking findings of a recent survey conducted by the NSWO. Psychologist Kristiaan van der Heijden from the Leiden Institute of Education and Child Studies is the research leader and a member of the board of this association. The above results come from a recently conducted national survey among more than 1,500 Dutch citizens and were announced during the National Sleep Week from March 16 to 21.
A third of Dutch motorists, on the other hand, do leave the car at home when they feel too drowsy. More than 17% indicate that they do drive despite feeling very drowsy. The remaining 50% did not provide a clear answer to this question.
Drowsy motorists should immediately take appropriate measures, van der Heijden says. These might involve taking a power nap in a car park and, most importantly, changing unhealthy sleep habits, such as using tablets and smartphones in bed and consuming alcohol shortly before going to bed.
