Lessons about sleepiness and driving from the Selby rail disaster case: R v Gary Neil Hart

In April 2003, near the town of Selby in North Yorkshire, England, a motor vehicle went off the road to cause a train collision, killing 10 and injuring more than 70 people. The driver of the vehicle, Gary Neil Hart, had allegedly fallen asleep while driving, and was charged and subsequently convicted of causing death by dangerous driving. Evidence from an expert witness was led by the prosecution to establish that Hart had in fact fallen asleep, and that prior to falling asleep, he knew (or ought to have known) that he was at risk of falling asleep but nevertheless continued to drive. The issue of whether and to what extent individuals are aware that they are about to fall asleep has significant implications for criminal prosecutions. Generally, the definition of a criminal offense includes a mental element such as intent or knowledge. Therefore, it is imperative that issues such as whether in every individual there is forewarning of sleep and the degree to which individuals are able to self-assess their ability to continue driving under conditions of extreme sleepiness must be resolved. Sleepiness is now regarded as the largest identifiable and preventable cause of accidents in all modes of transportation. Litigation for such accidents is likely to increase, and therefore it is of great importance that further research be undertaken to examine the process of falling asleep, especially the subjective experiences immediately preceding sleep.