Truck drivers who consumed large amounts of coffee and energy drinks reported causing more truck accidents than those who consumed just a little, according to new researchconsumed caffeine. The study focuses on caffeine consumption among more than 3,000 drivers. Of these, 1,653 only drank one caffeinated drink per day, while 1,354 consumed five times as much. This also revealed that the high consumption group had poorer overall health.
Causes of truck accidents after drinking coffee
With an average of 7.5caffeinated drinks per dayThe big coffee drinkers smoked more, drank more alcohol, exercised less and ate worse. They also slept less and reported feeling sleepier during the day. They were also more prone to risky and aggressive driving. In addition, the drivers were involved in more accidents than their colleagues who consumed little caffeine.
Understanding the connection between caffeine and collisions could be valuable, the researchers claim. For drivers who feel tired behind the wheel, it's almost a given that they should consume lots of caffeine as a countermeasure. The most effective way to counteract sleepiness is just two cups of caffeinated coffee per day. Truck drivers should also take short naps that last at least 15 minutes.
Ashleigh Filtness, from Loughborough University, who led the study, said: “Lorry drivers are particularly vulnerable to fatigue due to the pressures of shift work and long hours behind the wheel. This is a safety risk because drowsiness more than doubles the risk of truck accidents. A common countermeasure is caffeine, which drivers use in various forms including drinks and pills.”
Study results
As previous studies have shown, coffee consumption may have a positive impact on the risk of car accidents. However, when consumed in large amounts over long periods of time, caffeine can affect sleep and increase the risk of fatigue and security. Trucking companies and companies looking to improve driver safety should take a holistic approach. Together they should look for ways to improve sleep and health. According to researchers, caffeine is simply not a solution.
Still, Filtness added it was importantDon't stop people from drinking coffeeif you feel tired at the wheel. She said: “There is a lot of evidence that caffeine is a good one-off countermeasure. However, we are seeing high consumption, above the amount that 90% of the population would consume.”
The study intentionally excluded abstainers and moderate caffeine users (two to four times per day) to ensure a clear difference between the low and high groups. The driving safety of the two groups was then examined for information about truck accidents and other violations and compared to their caffeine withdrawal.
Filtness said it would be beneficial to study the complex relationship between caffeine and truck drivers because the group has higher than average consumption rates compared to the rest of the population. The results also showed that drivers who had their licenses longer and were, on average, older tended to consume more caffeine. TheStudygave some recommendations based on all the factors described.
