Sleep Apnea Screening in Truck & Bus Drivers Called For by NTSB

The National Transportation Safety Board is advising that medical experts question truck and bus drivers about sleep apnea, and has sent a letter to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration about this recommendation, in order to help design programs that help identify sleep apnea in those affected.

Deborah Hersman, chairman of the NTSB, states in this letter that in nearly every mode of transportation sleep apnea has been linked to accidents. Letters similar to this were sent by the NTSB earlier this year to the Federal Aviation Administration and local transit agencies requesting that this same screening be performed in airline pilots and train operators.

A number of serious accidents related to falling asleep at the wheel recently have been noted by the Associated Press, and these accidents were pointed out in the letters, including the following:

In January 2008, a motor coach returning from a ski trip was traveling too fast negotiating a curve and crashed down a mountainside in Utah, killing 9 people and injuring 43. It was found that the driver did in fact suffer from sleep apnea.

In May 2008, a driver was killed in a trolley accident in Massachusetts, and investigators believe that she suffered from this condition although there is no evidence to prove it because of the fatality.

In June 1995, a cruise ship with 2200 passengers aboard was grounded in an accident in Alaska, and later the pilot of the ship was diagnosed as having sleep apnea.

People who suffer from sleep apnea have pauses in their breathing, which results in them getting less than the required amount of restful sleep. Overweight individuals seem to be at a higher risk for this disorder, and it also occurs more often in men than in women, with African Americans beings at an increased risk for the condition. California truck accident lawyers are hopeful that screening for sleep apnea in truck and bus drivers will be mandatory because of the recommendation by the NTSB.

The Reeves Law Group has offices across California, and is dedicated to representing personal injury victims, including victims of truck accidents. Please contact us for a free consultation at (800) 644-8000.