Not sleeping for an extended period results in slower reaction time, impairs judgment and decreases coordination which significantly impede driving. In fact, not sleeping for 24 continuous hours impairs driving ability as much as having a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.1. This is equivalent to four alcoholic drinks for an average person and significantly higher than the legal driving limit of most nations in the world.
More about sleep deprivation and driving ability:
- Driving when drowsy contributes to more than 100,000 car accidents per year in the United States.
- Studies show that between 16% and 60% of all car accidents in the US are directly caused by sleep deprivation.
- Sleep deprivation also has negative effects on memory, learning, immune response, mood, and stress levels.