International Journal of Preventive Medicine (Int J Prev Med)2008-78024320120915246257ENDepartamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Centro de Estudos em Psicobiologia e Exercício (CEPE)Associação Fundo de Incentivo a Pesquisa (AFIP), São Paulo/SP, Brazil1Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Associação Fundo de Incentivo a Pesquisa (AFIP), São Paulo/SP, BrazilInstitute of Molecular Medicine, Medical Faculty of Lisbon and CENC-Sleep Medicine Center, Lisbon, Portugal323 Brock Ave, Toronto, ON M6K 2M6, CanadaUniversity Sleep Disorders Center, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaUtrecht University, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmacology, Universiteitsweg 99, Utrecht, The NetherlandsPresident and Chief Executive Officer, Somnogen Canada Inc, College Street, Toronto, ON, M6H 1C5, Canada20120915<p>Studies have shown that a large proportion of traffic accidents around the world are related to inadequate or disordered sleep. Recent surveys have linked driver fatigue to 16% to 20% of serious highway accidents in the UK, Australia, and Brazil. Fatigue as a result of sleep disorders (especially obstructive sleep apnea), excessive workload and lack of physical and mental rest, have been shown to be major contributing factors in motor vehicle accidents. A number of behavioral, physiological, and psychometric tests are being used increasingly to evaluate the impact of fatigue on driver performance. These include the oculography, polysomnography, actigraphy, the maintenance of wakefulness test, and others. Various strategies have been proposed for preventing or reducing the impact of fatigue on motor vehicle accidents. These have included: Educational programs emphasizing the importance of restorative sleep and the need for drivers to recognize the presence of fatigue symptoms, and to determine when to stop to sleep; The use of exercise to increase alertness and to promote restorative sleep; <em>The use of substances </em>or drugs to promote sleep or alertness (i.e. caffeine, modafinil, melatonin and others), as well as specific sleep disorders treatment; The use of CPAP therapy for reducing excessive sleepiness among drivers who have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. The evidence cited in this review justifies the call for all efforts to be undertaken that may increase awareness of inadequate sleep as a cause of traffic accidents. It is strongly recommended that, for the purpose of promoting highway safety and saving lives, all disorders that cause excessive sleepiness should be investigated and monitored.</p> <strong>Keywords: </strong>Alertness, fatigue, rest, sleep, traffic accidenthttp://ijpm.mui.ac.ir/index.php/ijpm/article/view/918http://ijpm.mui.ac.ir/index.php/ijpm/article/download/918/823