The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recently highlighted the problem of drowsy driving by hosting a Drowsy Driving Prevention Week (last week). A 2010 study entitled Asleep at the Wheel, found that one in every six deadly car crashes and one in eight crashes resulting in serious injury involved a drowsy driver.

While more and more people understand the problem of driving while tired, it hasn't stopped people from doing it. The AAA Foundation has found that:

  • 32 percent of drivers admitted to driving while they were so sleepy they could hardly keep their eyes open
  • 40 percent admitted to having fallen asleep at the wheel at least once and ten percent said they had done so within the past year

The problem is exacerbated for truckers. The U.S. Government Accountability Office issued a report after two fatal truck crashes were linked to drowsy driving by truck drivers who suffered from sleep apnea. A medical advisory panel of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recommended all truckers be screened for sleep apnea in 2008, but no action has been taken by the federal government to require truck driver screen.

One large trucking company took the initiative to screen all of its truck drivers, ensuring they received treatment if they were found to suffer from sleep apnea. The company reported a 30 percent drop in trucking accidents, as well as improved truck driver health. Other large companies followed suit, but most trucking companies are small operations and many do not offer health insurance so truckers must pay for care out of their own pocket.

Safety advocates believe government leadership in this area could save the lives of truck drivers and the motorists who share the road with them.

Source: Maricopa Monitor, "Arizona View, A Wakeup Call," by Linda Gorman, November 12, 2011.