What did the Chernobyl and Three Mile Island nuclear accidents, the space shuttle Challenger explosion, and the Exxon Valdez grounding have in common? Answer: The official investigations in each case determined that fatigue played a causal or contributory role in the outcome. According to Mark Rosekind, a leading expert on fatigue and alertness, accidents like these are especially dramatic examples of what can happen when humans become fatigued. But each year thousands of other less spectacular accidents occur across a range of activities, a by-product of a 24/7 world where sleep loss and circadian disruption are the norm for many individuals. For example, by one estimate as many as 100,000 auto accidents in the United States each year result from driver fatigue, causing an estimated 1,500 fatalities and 76,000 injuries.
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