The Perils of Drowsy Driving

The problem of drowsiness in commercial truck drivers has received considerable attention. Many people believe that drowsy truckers are only the most obvious example of sleep-deprived workers in all forms of transportation and in many different jobs. In this issue of the Journal, Mitler et al.1 report the results of recording electroencephalograms and videotaping 80 long-haul truckers continuously while they drove. The study provides convincing evidence that the drivers obtained less sleep than was required for alertness on the job. Total daily sleep was objectively measured, allowing the authors to attribute the drowsiness mainly to the subnormal amount of sleep . . .