The American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA) announced plans to conduct a first-ever national conference on sleep apnea and trucking. The one-day conference will be held May 12, 2010, at The Westin Baltimore Washington–BWI in Baltimore MD and is preceded May 11 by a reception and keynote address from NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman.
While sleep apnea is a major health and safety concern for all transportation modes, studies have shown that as many as 28% of commercial drivers may be afflicted by the illness.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition in which an individual’s airway is blocked while sleeping, typically resulting in frequent breathing interruptions lasting from 10 seconds to more than a minute at a time, loud snoring and non-restorative sleep. OSA afflicts at least 20 million Americans …equal to or more than asthma or diabetes, yet more than 85% remain undiagnosed. Individuals with OSA are more likely to have high blood pressure, heart problems, stroke, depression and sexual dysfunction and their annual health care costs are twice that of people without sleep apnea. One controlled study demonstrated that people with OSA have a six times greater risk of being involved in a traffic crash and a seven times greater risk of having multiple crashes.
The first government agencies, organizations and companies to participate in this effort include: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), American Trucking Associations (ATA), Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Schneider National, and ResMed Corporation.
For more information about the conference, registration, hotel accommodations and sponsorship opportunities, contact Reid Blank at (408) 247-0030, [email protected], or visit www.satc2010.org.
For more information about the American Sleep Apnea Association, visit www.sleepapnea.org.