Does Working Nights Affect Driving Performance?

Despite residency work-hour regulations mandated recently in the U.S., residency training still requires extended work hours and overnight shifts. But do these work conditions adversely affect residents' driving performance?

Researchers in Virginia enrolled 29 anesthesiology residents (postgraduate year, 2–4), who were on their night-float rotation. Driving performance (in a high-fidelity simulator) was measured at 8:00 a.m., after six consecutive night shifts; the same residents completed the driving simulation again at 8:00 a.m. at least 10 days after they had transitioned to normal day shifts with no prior overnight call. Reported 24-hour sleep times were shorter while working nights (averages, 6.6 vs. 7.2 hours). Residents were much more…