Why being sleepy is more dangerous than being drunk behind the wheel

“Vehicle accidents caused by drowsy driving exceed those caused by alcohol and drugs combined.“ … Drowsy driving alone is worse than driving drunk. … Drunk drivers are often late in breaking and late in making evasive maneuvers. But when you fall asleep or have a microsleep, you stop reacting altogether. … as a result, car crashes caused by drowsiness tend to be far more deadly than those caused by alcohol or drugs. Many of us think we can overcome drowsiness by sheer force of will but sadly, this is not true.”—Matthew Walker, “Why We Sleep“

“After being awake for 19 hours, people who are sleep deprived are as cognitively impaired as those who are legally drunk.“ —Matthew Walker, “Why We Sleep“.

”You do not know how sleep deprived you are when you are sleep deprived. …Millions of individuals unwittingly spend years of their life in a sub-optimal state of psychological and physiological functioning. Never maximizing their potential of mind or body due to their blind persistence in sleeping too little. —Matthew Walker, “Why We Sleep“.

No wonder doctors pay so little attention to this. They are among the worst offenders. Think residency.