A study recently conducted in Australia estimates that nearly half of the country’s long-distance truckers suffer from sleep apnea.
Approximately 40 percent of 500 truckers interviewed tested positive for this debilitating disorder, which saps a person of a good night’s sleep and leaves him or her feeling extra tired during the day. What’s more startling is that most of those drivers weren’t even aware they had a sleep disorder!
No formal study has ever been done in the United States, but informal surveys suggest that one-third of our nation’s truck drivers likely have a sleep disorder as well.
With thousands of potentially sleep-deprived truckers on the road every day, the risk for a serious Maryland truck accident is dangerously high. Safety experts believe that fatigue, often due to a sleep disorder, contributes to 13 percent of all truck accidents in the U.S.
So how do we stop this epidemic? Getting a good night’s sleep of course is the goal, but that might be nearly impossible if you have sleep apnea and are unaware of it. According to a July 2011 article in “AARP The Magazine,” seven signs of this common, often overlooked sleep disorder include:
- Chronic snoring
- Gasping for air
- Daytime fatigue
- High blood pressure
- Frequent nighttime urination
- Morning headaches
- Being overweight
If you think you might be suffering from sleep apnea, it’s a good idea to talk to a doctor regarding testing and possible treatment. The more aware Maryland truck drivers are of the condition, the more quickly it can be treated and the safer our roads will be.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a Maryland truck crash and believe a sleep disorder may have been an issue, you might want to speak with an experienced Maryland truck accident attorney. For a free consultation, contact Nickelsporn and Lundin at 1-800-875-9700 or fill out our online contact form.