British papers this week are touting the news that fat truck drivers are prone to falling asleep at the wheel.
The culprit is sleep apnea, a disorder more common in older, overweight males - a common truck driver profile.
People with the condition wake up many times during the night, usually without realizing it, because their airway is narrowed and they are unable to breathe. Snoring and daytime sleepiness are common symptoms.
The British Sleep Foundation is urging truck drivers who show these symptoms to seek medical help. The message came from Dr. Melissa Hack, who specializes in sleep disorders at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Wales. Hack was among 24 international scientists and health professionals who signed a statement published in the Journal of Sleep Research, stating that fatigue was the largest identifiable and preventable cause of accidents in transport operations.
A recent survey in Britain found that 34% of drivers who cover more than 20,000 miles a year admitted falling asleep at the wheel during the last year. Hack said motorists with untreated sleep apnea are at least twice as likely to have a road accident than other drivers.
"Chronic snoring is more common in the obese - and many truckers are overweight," she said. While acknowledging that truck drivers are generally among the safest drivers on the road, she pointed out that the amount of miles they cover, the time they spend on the road and driving at night increase their chances of an accident.
Research to determine just how bad a problem sleep apnea is in U.S. truckers is ongoing.