The truth about drivers and sleep

Scientists now have empirical
evidence of what most of us
have suspected all along – no
sleep equals unsafe driving.
According to the National
Sleep Foundation of the United
States, individuals who have
slept less than two hours in the
prior 24 hours are too sleep
deprived to get behind the
wheel of a vehicle.
This has implications for
fleet operators whose longdistance
drivers keep freight
moving throughout Africa.
Stop-overs with inadequate,
noisy or uncomfortable
sleeping facilities put the
driver, rig and cargo at risk –
as well as other road users.
“Sleep-deprived drivers
cause more than 6 400 deaths
and 50 000 debilitating
injuries on American roadways
each year,” said Charles A.
Czeisler chief of the division of
sleep and circadian disorders
at Brigham and Women’s
Hospital.
Most healthy drivers are
likely to be impaired with only
three to five hours of sleep
during the prior 24 hours,
according to David Cloud, of
the National Sleep Foundation.