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Related Experiment Videos

Sleepiness and ethanol effects on simulated driving

T Roehrs1, D Beare, F Zorick

  • 1Henry Ford Hospital, Sleep Disorders and Research Center, Detroit, MI 48202.

Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research
|February 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary

Sleepiness combined with low-dose ethanol impairs driving performance, even after alcohol clears the system. This effect explains alcohol-related accidents occurring at low breath ethanol concentrations (BECs).

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Area of Science:

  • Sleep research
  • Alcohol toxicology
  • Human performance

Background:

  • Alcohol consumption is a major factor in traffic accidents.
  • The effects of low-dose ethanol on driving performance, especially when combined with sleepiness, require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the combined effects of sleep restriction and low-dose ethanol on cognitive performance and simulated driving.
  • To determine if alcohol-related driving impairment persists after breath ethanol concentrations (BECs) return to zero.

Main Methods:

  • Healthy young men underwent four conditions: 8-hr or 4-hr time in bed (TIB) with placebo or ethanol (0.6 g/kg).
  • Sleepiness was measured using the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT).
  • Cognitive functions including divided attention and simulated driving performance were assessed on two consecutive days.

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Main Results:

  • Ethanol consumption, particularly with 4-hr TIB, increased sleepiness and slowed reaction times in divided attention tasks.
  • Simulated driving performance was significantly impaired in the ethanol conditions, even at low BECs (morning: 0.049%, afternoon: 0.013%).
  • Impairments in cognitive and driving tasks persisted beyond the point where BECs reached zero.

Conclusions:

  • Sleepiness and low-dose ethanol synergistically impair critical driving skills.
  • Alcohol-related driving impairment can extend beyond the time when alcohol is detectable in breath.
  • Findings suggest a mechanism for alcohol-related accidents occurring at legally low or zero BECs.