Truck driving is an important field of work, but it is also one that carries a great deal of responsibility. Not only is it important that whatever drivers are carrying on their rigs gets where it needs to be and arrives on time, drivers also need to be alert and aware for long stretches at a time in order to keep themselves and other people on the roads safe.

But what if there is more that some drivers and federal organizations could be doing to protect people from deadly truck accidents? A woman who lost her husband in a Texas truck accident is challenging the trucking industry to address a relatively secret safety problem among the commercial driving industry and fix it.

The widow's concern is truckers and other commercial drivers who suffer from untreated sleep apnea. Someone who suffers from sleep apnea will literally stop breathing and be jarred awake several times in the night. While some may think the condition is only a danger to those who have it, one of the most dangerous aspects of the condition is the fatigue it causes the next day. Commercial drivers and fatigue is a recipe for serious traffic disasters.

The Texas widow is searching for answers as to whether or not fatigue due to sleep apnea may have been a factor in the truck accident that killed her husband and caused her injuries. The driver has been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea, but his employer allegedly was unaware of his condition until after the collision occurred.

Accidents happen on Texas roads every day, and many of them are preventable. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and National Transportation Safety Board suggest that trucking companies test and treat drivers for sleep apnea. But, are mere suggestions enough with regards to accident prevention among the commercial driving industry?

Source

Statesman.com: "New Braunfels widow fights sleep apnea in transportation," Helen Anders, Sep. 26, 2011