The effects of taxi drivers’ chronotype characteristics on daily life: Daytime sleepiness, stress, fatigue, social relationships, traffic accident experience, and general health

This study focused on taxi drivers to investigate the relationship between chronotype characteristics and daytime sleepiness, stress, fatigue, social relationships, car accidents, and general health. This cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2024 and January 2025. The sample comprised 229 taxi drivers from two bordering provincial centers in Türkiye. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA (with partial eta-squared), ch i-square, multiple regression, and logistic regression analyses. One in five participants (20.5%) had an evening chronotype. Participants with evening chronotypes experienced more daytime sleepiness (η² = .096), stress (η² = .182), fatigue (η² = .068), and were involved in more car accidents (Cramer's V = .19). They were also more disadvantaged in terms of social relations and overall health perception. The results showed that, when confounding factors were controlled, chronotype had an impact on daytime sleepiness, stress, fatigue, and social relationships. It was also found that work status and shift work were associated with increased fatigue and a higher incidence of car accidents. At the same time, work status was also related to high daytime sleepiness and negative social engagement. Chronotype characteristics have an impact on various variables related to traffic safety. Taxi drivers with an evening chronotype are particularly disadvantaged. The development of a chronotype-based work schedule can be considered a means to reduce levels of sleepiness, stress, and fatigue among taxi drivers, thereby improving their overall health and social relationships, and potentially preventing traffic accidents.