Sleepiness, driving and obstructive sleep apnoea
Dr. John Garvey Medical Director, Sleep Service St. Vincent’s University Hospital
Dr. John Garvey Medical Director, Sleep Service St. Vincent’s University Hospital
Sleep-related collisions
• Single-vehicle collisions
• The driver is alone in the vehicle and does not attempt to avoid the crash
• The crash is likely to be serious and occur on a high-speed road
• The crash occurs either late at night, early in the morning, or midafternoon
Sleepiness and driving in Ireland
• 24% of drivers in Ireland admitted they had driven at least once over the previous month when they were so tired they had trouble keeping their eyes
Road Safety Authority has said driver fatigue is estimated to be a factor in 1 in 5 of the deaths of drivers on Irish roads
16% of drivers admitted they had fallen asleep or nodded off at the wheel
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Those most at risk are:
young men
working night shifts
those who drive for a living
people with sleep disorders, such as sleep apnoea
Normal Breathing
Obstructive Apnoea
Polysomnography
Nasal CPAP
Take home points!
• Sleep-related collisions are a significant contributor to road traffic
deaths
• In professional drivers, sleep deprivation is a major risk factor for road traffic accidents (RTAs)
• Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) increases the risk of RTAs
• Studies on professional drivers reported a high prevalence of OSA risk in this population
• CPAP markedly reduces the risk of RTAs among individuals with moderate–severe OSA