Fatigue and Sleep Apnoea

Fatigue is a major contributory cause of crashes. 

Fatigued drivers are more likely to be involved in an accident resulting in the fatal injury of themselves or their vehicle’s occupants than non-fatigued drivers

There are many causes of fatigue but The Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) Partnership Group reports that, in Britain, at least five per cent of the adult population is thought to have undiagnosed sleep apnoea, of which about a quarter has the more severe form of the condition, OSA syndrome.

In the case of vocational drivers, the figure with undiagnosed OSA is believed to be far higher – possibly up to 15 per cent.

An interesting article published by The Driving for Better Business campaign, highlights the views of Professor John Stradling, Emeritus Professor of Respiratory Medicine at Oxford University about what can be done to diagnose and support affected drivers.

Advice about how to manage fatigue can be found here.