HGV drivers urged to seek help if they suspect obstructive sleep apnoea symptoms

An expert in a sleeping condition that can be catastrophic for road users if not diagnosed has urged HGV drivers to seek treatment if they suspect they are affected.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is thought to affect as many as 40,000 commercial vehicle drivers and prevents sufferers from getting a good night’s sleep, leaving them feeling chronically tired.

Driving with OSA can make the chance of having a road traffic accident between three and nine times more likely and increase the severity of the accident.

It can also greatly reduce quality of life, lead to other health problems and impact on life expectancy.

Professor John Stradling, a respiratory consultant who also works for the OSA Partnership Group, said: “It is essential that we make drivers aware of the symptoms of sleep apnoea. It is a condition that can be very easily diagnosed and treated, and following this patients are able to lead normal lives. It is especially significant for HGV drivers as successful treatment will enable them to drive as safely as anyone without OSA."

Sheffield MP Meg Munn recently called for hauliers to routinely screen their drivers for the condition.