Driving Drowsy

Guest: Hans Van Dongen, PhD, Director of the Sleep and Performance Research Center at Washington State University  Drowsy driving causes about 100,000 of accidents annually in the US – 1,500 of them fatal. The risks are even higher for commercial drivers who can be on the clock for 60 or 70 hours at a time.  Imagine if our cars could sense when we’re about to nod off and jolt us awake somehow? Researchers at the Sleep and Performance Research Center at Washington State University have recently patented a device that would do that. They’re also looking in-depth in to the short and long-term effects of sleep deprivation.