Effect of Circadian Rhythms and Driving Duration on Fatigue Level and Driving Performance of Professional Drivers

Abstract

Circadian rhythms, inherent in all humans, consist of 24-h biological patterns that affect a person's fatigue level. The effect of circadian rhythms on driving performance was explored in an on-road driving study. Fifteen middle-aged professional daytime drivers were recruited to participate in the experiment. Participants were classified into three groups: (a) a morning group that started driving at 09:00, (b) a noon group that started driving at 12:00, and (c) an evening group that started driving at 21:00. Each group completed a 6-h driving task. The self-reported Karolinska sleepiness scale score was recorded every 5 min, and data on driving performance parameters, such as steering and lane positioning, were also acquired. The results indicated that both circadian rhythms and driving duration had significant effects on self-reported fatigue levels and that the fatigue level increased faster in the evening group than the morning and noon groups. The results of the circadian rhythm analysis showed that a driver was most likely to feel tired between 14:00 and 16:00 and between 02:00 and 04:00, when the ability to stay within designated lane lines (lane maintenance) was significantly impaired for drivers in all three groups. The evening group drivers were the most at risk. The steering performance did not show a significant relationship with the self-reported fatigue level. The self-reported fatigue level is the result of the interactive effect of circadian rhythms and driving duration. The standard deviation of lane position was more correlated with circadian rhythms than with the steering reversal rate.

Effects of driver work-rest patterns, lifestyle and payment incentives on long-haul truck driver sleepiness

“…According to previous studies, driving during the night time and after lunch have been significantly associated with higher decrement in driver alertness during a day (Gastaldi, Rossi, & Gecchele, 2014;Sagaspe et al, 2008;Thiffault & Bergeron, 2003;G. Zhang, Yau, Zhang, & Li, 2016;H. Zhang et al, 2014).…”

“…Thus, the shift workers are expected to be at a greater risk of accidents due to drowsiness compared to regular workers (Johnson et al, 2015). Morning rush hours, post-lunch or post mid-night periods are certain safety-critical timings, which are associated with low circadian rhythms and high decrement in alertness while driving (Zhang et al, 2014;Matthews et al, 2012;Aidman et al, 2015;Zhang et al, 2016). The accident risk increases as the duration of driving increases, especially beyond 4 hours of continuous driving (Lin et al, 1984).…”

Effects of seafarers’ emotion on human performance using bridge simulation

“…Moreover, other studies on angry driving in road transportation (Yan et al, 2015, Zhang et al, 2014, Lafont et al, 2018 have been conducted to find the emotional connection between drivers and behaviours.…”

How to Train Safe Drivers: Setting Up and Evaluating a Fatigue Training Program

“…A number of studies have indicated that driving performance is negatively affected by driving time, which stands as the main factor influencing drivers' abilities (Otmani et al, 2005), along with driving in a monotonous environment and circadian effects (Rossi et al, 2011). In the study of Zhang et al (2014), the effects of circadian rhythms on driving performance were investigated in an on-road experiment, and results showed that a driver was most likely to feel tired between 14:00-16:00 and 02:00-04:00, time periods during which drivers' ability to stay within designated lane lines was significantly reduced (Zhang et al, 2014). The peak period for driver fatigue between midnight and 06:00 was also indicated in an American study (Blower et al, 1993), which revealed that approximately 20% of all fatal crashes and fatalities and 10% of all injuries involving a long-haul truck occurred in this time period.…”