Drivers need to get sleep to be safe, but the way it is designed makes absolutely no sense and actually works against safety.
I know someone who wrote their entire Ph.D. dissertation on this topic. Government regulations often force drivers onto the roads at times and in patterns that conflict with the body’s natural rhythms.
Jason R. Anderson, "An Examination of Commercial Motor Vehicle Hours of Service Safety Regulation." He shows how government rules can actually push drivers into more dangerous, fatigue-inducing schedules. You can find it here: https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/263