People with
untreated sleep apnea may be less alert behind the wheel and this could make
them more vulnerable to the effects of sleep loss and alcohol than healthy drivers.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition in which the tissues at the back of the
throat temporarily collapse during sleep. This leads to repeated stops
and starts in breathing during the night. The result of this is poor
quality sleep which can, in turn, lead to daytime drowsiness. It's
estimated that traffic accidents related to obstructive sleep apnea cause 1,400
fatalities in the U.S. each year. In a study of 58 people on a virtual
driving course, the drivers with sleep apnea had more trouble staying in their
driving lane and were more likely to crash than their healthy
counterparts. The same was true when they took a modest amount of
alcohol; just enough to raise the blood alcohol level to 0.05, which is just
below the legal limit.
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