Sleep deficiency cause of most road accidents
A recent bus accident in Pune highlights the issue of sleep deprivation among private bus drivers, a major cause of accidents on Maharashtra highways. Many drivers work long hours without adequate rest, impairing their cognitive function, reaction times, and decision-making skills. Private tour operators are not always subject to the same regulations as state transport drivers, leading to the pressures of meeting schedules and increasing profits. The decline in alertness during certain hours also contributes to accidents, according to a study by the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay.
Pune: Road accidents involving buses operated by private tour operators have been a cause for concern for authorities in recent years. According to officials, most of the accidents have been attributed to sleep deprivation among drivers, who often work long hours without adequate rest, leading to fatigue. These drivers then lose control of the vehicle, resulting in accidents.
On Saturday morning, a private bus going from Pune to Mumbai plunged into a gorge at Bore ghat on old Pune-Mumbai highway, highlighting the need to address the issue of sleep deprivation among private bus drivers.
Somnath Gharge, Raigad district superintendent of police said, “Considering the accident on Saturday morning, there is a high chance that the driver must have dozed off at the wheels.”
The owner of the bus, Chitra Jagtap, is a resident of Goregoan in Mumbai. Her son, Aniket Jagtap was one of the 13 deceased. When HT contacted her for a statement, she was unavailable.
However, this is not the only case. Earlier in October 2022, a sleeper coach bus operated by a private tourist entity, collided with a truck carrying coal. The bus caught fire and 12 passengers were killed. The probe indicated that the driver had dozed off at the wheel.
A study conducted by Dr Kirti Mahajan and Prof Nagendra Velaga of the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) in 2021 established that sleep deprivation was the major cause of accidents on Maharashtra highways.
The decline in alertness during the post-lunch hours between 2pm and 4pm and between 1am and 5am, often leads to accidents, the study had stated, adding that drivers should be cautious during these periods by adopting slower speeds or maintaining larger gaps with other vehicles on the road.
Arun Sabnis of Fulora Foundation, a non-profit that has been working closely with road safety and accidents said, “Many drivers are doing double shifts to earn more money, many also drive without proper rest which may lead to accidents. Most accidents that occur in the early morning hours is due to the lack of sleep of drivers.”
Many private bus drivers are often required to work long hours, covering extensive distances to meet demanding schedules. This can lead to chronic sleep deprivation, which can impair their cognitive function, reaction times, and decision-making skills, increasing the risk of accidents on the road.
In contrast, drivers employed by the state transport sector are subject to regulations that mandate adequate rest periods and limit the number of driving hours per day. However, private tour operators are not always subjected to the same level of regulations, and many drivers end up pushing themselves beyond limits due to the pressures of meeting schedules and increasing profits.
Kiran Desai, president of Pune Car and Bus Association, however, countered the view. “There are two drivers, and both work in alternate shifts of five hours each. No driver is ready to work over six hours as they too care about their safety.”