According to the DGT, drowsiness and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) are involved, directly or indirectly, in between 15% and 30% of traffic accidents in Spain (both are related to a large number of traffic accidents in the professional sector) as demonstrated by multiple studies years ago, although the exact figure is difficult to determine.
But in addition to the road accidents in which the driver falls completely asleep, drowsiness itself (that is, being sleepy) substantially affects the ability to drive safely: distractions exits from the road, rear-end... only a microsleep of 3 seconds at 120 km/h makes us lose control of the car in 99 meters.
To deal with these problems, give them greater visibility and look for possible solutions, Tráfico has organized a very interesting conference on drowsiness and driving with the participation of experts, institutions, recognition centers, transport professionals, ADAS developers, and the Civil Guard, and these are some of the main conclusions.
Not sleeping before getting behind the wheel is just as dangerous as alcohol
Sleep is one of the biggest enemies behind the wheel by itself, but the risks increase exponentially if other factors such as the consumption of certain drugs or alcohol are added. And it is that other risks allow a minimum control of the vehicle, but if you fall asleep at the wheel, you will not be able to react until it is too late.
However, Carlos Egea, a pulmonologist accredited in sleep medicine by the Spanish Sleep Medicine Accreditation Committee (CEAMS), points out that "55% of drivers continue driving even though their body is giving them signs that they have to stop, such as when driving in automatic mode”.
In addition, he points out that "in Spain there is a cultural problem and awareness of the importance of rest."
According to data from the DGT, sleep problems could have been present in 7% of fatal traffic accidents in 2021, "which means that 77 people died for this reason," says Pere Navarro. "Taking into account the data of the last decade, on average every year, 75 people died and another 250 were seriously injured," he adds.
But how can you prevent and/or control someone with fatigue or drowsiness from taking control of a vehicle? From the Spanish Federation of Sleep Medicine Societies (FESMES) they point out that the ideal is to "screen people who may have sleep problems" with different medical tests, and that this is certified in the driving licenses.
Although they acknowledge that "it is not easy to put this theory into practice" and that drivers with this type of problem (especially self-employed professionals behind the wheel), may perceive it as a punitive method or may fear losing their job for this reason. point to the need to improve the health cycle around these conditions.
This line is shared by specific medical units such as the Interdisciplinary Sleep Disorders Unit of the Eduardo Anitua Foundation, which calls for "sleep treatments not to be a problem, but rather a solution", as researcher Joaquin Durán points out.
Irene Cano, coordinator of the Sleep Unit at the Ramón y Cajal Hospital, also points out that “it is necessary to facilitate diagnosis, treatment and driver's license renewal, prioritizing professional drivers, to make their work easier.
In addition, Cano emphasizes that currently "only 15% of patients with sleep problems have been identified."
From the Civil Guard, Lieutenant Cano points out that "people are not aware that sleep is an added risk factor behind the wheel" and is committed to more awareness campaigns with the slogan "If you are sleepy, don't drive".
But in addition, she emphasizes the importance of raising awareness from the driver's training stage: "The topic should be part of the exam tests and driver's license renewals."
All the speakers agree that professional drivers must have priority on the specific circuits existing in the Spanish health system. For that, the collaboration of public institutions is needed, because "today it is evident that it is not efficient," says Cano.
The Lieutenant is also concerned about how the Civil Guard can control that there are no drivers with sleep disorders on the road, despite the latest advances in the matter.
Actions that are already being carried out to treat sleep disorders while driving
In the CRCs or medical examination centers, as explained by Dr. Enrique Mirabet, "measures have been underway for a year to determine which drivers have a low, medium or high risk of suffering from sleep disorders and act accordingly". These centers have access to primary care medical reports, advice, etc.
For example, a driver who demonstrates a medium risk, due to different factors identified by the CDC (snoring at night, few hours of sleep and interruptions, etc.) will obtain her permission accompanied by a recommendation sheet to present to her family doctor.
Thus, he will be able to act accordingly by applying treatments such as a CPAP, or a specific device that helps him sleep properly at night, explains Mirabet: "We want prevention, not a sanctioning policy for drivers at risk." This would make it possible to solve the driver's problem, and therefore reduce the risk of her driving due to a sleep disorder.
Another aspect that can help mitigate these risks behind the wheel, as the experts from APPlus IDIADA point out, is the driving assistance technology (ADAS) required by regulations for car manufacturers,
An example of this is the Fatigue Detector (DDR): a system that detects distractions at the wheel, whether due to fatigue, drowsiness, or other causes. Thus, it alerts the driver with an acoustic and also visual alert, which can be a text message on the screen or a cup of coffee, indicating that they should stop to take a break on the journey.
Along these lines, Euro NCAP has also recently implemented its protocols to emphasize rewarding these systems. "But in addition to the warning, it proposes that systems such as car lane maintenance implement parameters that identify not only drowsiness but also fatigue," says IDIADA.
We will have more and more direct monitoring systems, although looking to the future (in 2026 new guidelines will be established from NCAP) there are concerns about aspects such as "cognitive distraction" (such as looking at the road but thinking about something else) that cannot be spot so easily.
Some professional road transport companies such as ALSA,
which has also exposed its vision, have specific monitoring technology such as
tachographs or the Drivecam program, "a kind of Big Brother that helps the
company to establish security protocols", since analyzing the behavior of
drivers on the road.
In addition to fatigue, drowsiness, and other sleep disorders, the Conference emphasized that to improve road safety the main measure will always be "the awareness of each person and common sense, supported by early road safety education". , as Lieutenant Cano, of the Civil Guard, has pointed out.
Pere Navarro, director of the DGT has concluded the Conference with some reflections. "After alcohol, sleep is possibly the factor that most affects traffic accidents" and this fact has to drastically change road safety policies.
"Based on what has been stated today, the Road Safety Observatory is going to have a lot of work", especially on a subject like this, which he has described as "emerging", he said, although it has been studied for decades.
In addition, he has emphasized that "professional
drivers deserve special attention that invites them to put the issue on the table
and is not perceived as punitive" and has already warned that on the
information panels on the roads this summer, we will remember the message to
the drivers of “If you are sleepy, don't drive”.
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