[Safety of professional drivers: literature review about prevention measures linked to sleeping]

Abstract

This study assess the need of development of a common protocol to detect occupational driver with high risk of driving accidents. Several studies have indicated that excessive sleepiness and daytime alertness cause an increased risk of driving accidents in occupational drivers. Excessive daytime sleepiness affects 4 to 12% of general population. The 37% of drivers reported that they have nodded off or fallen asleep at least once in their driving career. A substantial percentage of drivers suffer from sleep-disordered breathing, narcolepsy, sleep deprivation, poor sleep hygiene, changes in wakefulness-sleep circadian rhythm. Some important factors in determining driver sleepiness are duration of the drive, driving at night, more experience as driver, arduous schedules. There is a lack of awareness among the public and among physicians and authorities in general of the problem posed by sleepy drivers. There isn't a national surveillance system that identify sleep loss or sleepiness in relation to work. The first target of a screening program protocol should be to detect the presence of obstructive sleep apnea. Overnight polysomnography in a sleep laboratory is normal practice for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea but it is expensive. The ambulatory approach can be used to expedite management of screening in occupational driver.