Sleep disorders and accidental risk in a large group of regular registered highway drivers.

Pierre Philip, Patricia Sagaspe, Emmanuel Lagarde, Damien Leger, Maurice M. Ohayon, Bernard Bioulac, Jacques Boussuge, Jacques Taillard
Sleep Medicine. 2010-12-01; 11(10): 973-979
DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2010.07.010

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1. Sleep Med. 2010 Dec;11(10):973-9. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2010.07.010. Epub 2010 Oct
18.

Sleep disorders and accidental risk in a large group of regular registered
highway drivers.

Philip P(1), Sagaspe P, Lagarde E, Leger D, Ohayon MM, Bioulac B, Boussuge J,
Taillard J.

Author information:
(1)Université Bordeaux 2, CNRS, GENPPHASS, CHU Bordeaux, France.

OBJECTIVE: Despite convincing evidence regarding the risk of highway accidents
due to sleepiness at the wheel, highway drivers still drive while sleepy. Sleep
disorders can affect driving skills, but the relative impact of sleep complaints
among a large population of highway drivers is still unknown.
METHODS: Out of 37,648 questionnaires completed by frequent highway users
(registered in an electronic payment system), we ran our analyses on 35,004
drivers who responded to all items. The questionnaire previously used in a
telephone survey included socio-demographics, driving and sleep disorders items
(Basic Nordic Sleep Questionnaire) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale.
RESULTS: Of all drivers, 16.9% complained of at least one sleep disorder, 5.2%
reported obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, 9.3% insomnia, and 0.1% narcolepsy and
hypersomnia; 8.9% of drivers reported experiencing at least once each month an
episode of sleepiness at the wheel so severe they had to stop driving. One-third
of the drivers (31.1%) reported near-miss accidents (50% being sleep-related),
2520 drivers (7.2%) reported a driving accident in the past year, and 146 (5.8%)
of these driving accidents were sleep-related. The highest risk of accidents
concerned patients suffering from narcolepsy and hypersomnia (odds ratio 3.16,
p

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