Researchers from the University of Missouri College of Engineering suggest that those with the chronic medical condition 'shift work sleep disorder,' which accompanies graveyard shift work, are three times more likely to be involved in a car crash than those who work traditional schedules.

Taking data from real-world crash incidents versus data gleaned from simulations, the researchers determined that those working between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., the so-called graveyard shift, are likely to experience sleep disruptions that will potentially affect their driving, resulting in an increased risk of car accidents.

Source: Santeri Viinamäki/CC BY-SA 4.0

As such, the team believes that engineering countermeasures to aid in preventing car crashes from happening are necessary and hopes to partner with both public health and medical professionals to determine what those countermeasures should be.

Some of the countermeasures proposed by the researchers include increasing the availability of highway rest areas, incorporating roadside and in-vehicle messaging to improve a driver’s attention, and encouraging drivers working the graveyard shift to take other modes of transportation such as public transit or ride-share services.

Additionally, the team discovered that shift work sleep disorder increases the risk of a traffic crash by roughly 300% versus other sleep disorders including sleep apnea and insomnia — both of which reportedly increased the risk of a vehicle crash by roughly 30%.

The study — Sleep disorders and risk of traffic crashes: A naturalistic driving study analysis — was published in the journal Safety Science.