Research has proven that a truck driver with Obstructive Sleep Apnea has twice the chance of having an accident than a driver who does not have OSA. This is now seen by the Department of Transportation as an important area that DOT Medical Examiners will be focusing on going forward.
A panel of OSA experts presented DOT guidelines for sleep apnea to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that will now be included when drivers are examined for a DOT medical certificate. DOT Medical Examiners are expected take these recommendations into account due of the increasing liability associated with public safety.
Because of the new DOT guidelines for sleep apnea, drivers are now being questioned about any sleep disorders, pauses in breathing while asleep, daytime sleepiness, or loud snoring they might have. In addition, a body mass index (BMI) is determined based on weight and height, and a measurement of the neck circumference is also taken. These measurements will determine if the driver needs further evaluation or testing for OSA.
DOT guidelines for sleep apnea recommend any driver with a BMI >33%, a male with a neck measurement of at least 17” or a female with a neck measurement of at least 15.5” be given a provisional card and requires the driver to be evaluated by a physician who specializes in sleep studies.
If Obstructive Sleep Apnea is diagnosed, the driver must undergo the recommended treatment. Drivers will be reassessed after 3 months of treatment and must be validated as part of each subsequent DOT physical examination. The driver may then be certified annually as long as prescribed treatment is continued.