A new study by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and the University of British Columbia finds that people with sleep apnea are at twice the risk of being in a car crash. The researchers also found that people with sleep apnea were 3 to 5 times more likely to be in a serious accident resulting in personal injury.

The researchers studied data from the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia on nearly 1,600 people, half of whom were diagnosed with sleep apnea.

“Car accidents are more common and more serious with people with sleep apnea,” Dr. John Fleetham, a UBC professor of medicine, said Wednesday. “If you fall asleep at the wheel, you are more likely to be at risk for a head-on collision. It’s not an act of God. It’s related to conditions that can be treated and prevented.”

The researchers stated in their report that the patients were not aware of the potential driving hazards caused by sleep apnea. Even those patients with fairly mild sleep apnea were at increased risk for serious crashes.

Statistics show that men have more accidents than women, but that for those with sleep apnea the accident rates are the same.
This study comes on the heels of a debate over the inclusion of sleep apnea among the conditions to be considered at the time of issuing a driver’s license.

The European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST) hosted a meeting last October on Action 26 with international experts to discuss the best ways to include obstructive sleep apnea among the disorders that create a serious risk for accidents. This initiative as also presented by COST to the High Commission on Transport.

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