In the recent years, more and more studies have shown that sleep apnea has been a leading cause in fatal traffic accidents. More so within the population of people who drive and work long hours.
Truck drivers are at a high risk because a lot of them spend days on end without getting proper sleep, proper diet and exercise. One such case has recently made headline news as a family was awarded over 3 million dollars in a case which proved sleep apnea was the culprit. A truck driver, who was untreated for sleep apnea rear ended the family on a busy Texas highway.
The problem was not just that the driver had untreated OSA, it was that the trucking company had promised to comply with the current standard of sleep apnea education which held the drivers accountable to get proper treatment if they were in fact diagnosed with the disease.
This particular driver was not given the proper education of the dangers regarding sleep apnea and therefore had dismissed his symptoms. Unfortunately the wake-up call had come after the accident, however this sheds much needed light on trucking companies to heighten their education regarding sleep apnea and insist that drivers get treatment.
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