Citation

Yoss RE. Proc. Am. Assoc. Automot. Med. Annu. Conf. 1965; 9: 25-30.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1965, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

In reviewing the program, I note an emphasis on the design of the automobile, but we must always remember the design of the automobile driver - a product that does not come off a production line with interchangeable parts nor with specifications that would make any engineer happy. With more powerful engines, greater speeds, more crowded highways, we must make every effort to provide a driver who is ALERT at all times! Unfortunately, drivers of automobiles may spend only part of the time being alert. Other times he may drop to other stages of alertness or, more properly, lack of alertness.

This first lower stage could be described as a period of decreased alertness, but not of a degree to dignify with the name of sleepiness. He may drop to a second stage of obvious drowsiness or sleepiness which may be brief or sustained for rather long periods of time. The final stage is the "asleep" driver. In order to understand the problems of decreased alertness and how it relates to the automobile, we should review these same problems in normal people, whether they are driving an automobile, reading a book, or listening to a lecture. We know that people are not identical - some are tall, some short; some have great athletic ability, some not; some are brilliant, some are dull, - but, all are normal and their differences in design are normal biologic differences.

The sleep pattern in normal people is not identical and will differ in three general ways: (1) The ideal amount of nocturnal sleep (2) The quality of the nocturnal sleep and (3) And most important, the ease of losing alertness when awake.