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Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, is defined medically as a decrease in airflow due to recurring partial or complete obstruction of a person’s upper airway. The body initially reacts to this through responses such as pronounced snoring. Ultimately, a person stops breathing for fairly brief periods of time. OSA occurs during sleep, and there has been growing concern regarding its role in increased commercial truck accidents.
OSA can have a significant impact on various aspects of a person’s life. Included on the list of life functions affected by OSA is a person’s ability to drive a commercial semi-truck safely. The profound fatigue associated with OSA impairs a person’s ability to operate a motor vehicle.
A significant segment of the population suffers from obstructive sleep apnea or OSA. According to studies by the National Institutes of Health, 9 percent of women and an alarming 26 percent of men suffer from OSA.
The overweight or obese individual is more likely to suffer from OSA. With the projected increase in the number of overweight or obese people in the United States, the number suffering from OSA will increase.
A majority of individuals who suffer from OSA are not diagnosed. They have no idea they suffer from the condition. As a result, they have taken no action to address the problem. In many cases, OSA is initially detected by a significant other because of the profound problems with snoring.
A recent study of commercial truck drivers by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Morris, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, concluded that truck drivers with untreated OSA have a preventable accident rate five times greater than truckers unafflicted with the condition.
An estimated 20 percent of all accidents involving big rigs are thought to be caused by sleepy, drowsy, or fatigued drivers. OSA is the most common cause of excessive daytime sleepiness or fatigue, including among commercial truck drivers.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is considering implementing required sleep apnea screenings for all drivers under its jurisdiction. Additionally, the FMCSA is considering regulations that would require commercial drivers diagnosed with OSA to undergo treatment.
The failure to get appropriate treatment for sleep apnea would result in a commercial truck driver losing his or her ability to operate a big rig.
When commercial truck drivers are involved in an accident with other vehicles, the odds of injury or worse are significantly higher.
Call our outstanding team of 18-wheeler accident attorneys at (281) 893-0760 for a no-obligation consultation on your rights and options.
Resources:
National Institutes of Health: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2727690/
Harvard School of Public Health: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/truck-drivers-sleep-disorders-crashes/
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