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Partly "improving road safety /partly news/ partly a major rant.! Paul - not sure if this is right area?


Tonight's episode focused on HGV drivers and emotively and sensationally claims one in six HGV drivers suffers from this (to explain why they fall asleep - still say it's the limiters and monotony at root of this as focusing on something and keeping concentration buzz stimulates brain and provides the natural safety mechanism in our bodies. I could go into a load of medical jargon on this - but basically our bodies do create a number of biochemicals which explains why we find it difficult to sleep and relax if we work on computer or work late. )

However, the condition does exist and it exists in about 15% of the population. Research is by no means complete on this one and some there are some conflicting schools of thought

Sleep Apnoea causes obstructions to the airway during sleep and worryingly middle aged men are more prone to develp this than others. Basically what happens is that the airlway to the lung collapses during sleep (some cot deaths occur this way ) and the blood looses oxygen. Basically suffererers have a fragmented sleep pattern and not 8-10 hours of a deep satisfying slumber. At least 20% of all accidents on the road are down to drivers falling asleep at the wheell

HuH? They tell us it's all down to speed .

Prog centred on story of Paul Couldridge who was jailed for 8 years and banned for life after nodding off and killing a BMW driver on the opposite side of the carriageway in 2002. He has nodded off fifteen times prior to this accident and doctors had warned him to stop driving.

I can notify DVLA about patients under special and exceptional circumstances only - but basically up to drivers to tell DVLA about illnesses as law stands at present

But if you risk losing your job?

Can well see the reluctance to admit the problems. Though it does not help me come to terms with the guy who hit Wildy after a stroke or the driver who killed one of their cousins.

Even more worryingly. there are no tests for OAS for professional drivers seeking a qualification, and it can be treated with 90% success rate as well.

The Beeb exposed the long waiting lists for testing and treatment. Yeah - I admit it. Despite the Droning Tone bliaring on about his investment in the NHS - still have long waiting lists for all treatments

The OSA machine is cheap - only £300-£350. The Departmnet of Health claims suffererers receive treatment tailored to their needs

Only if they live in the right post code area to get the treatment - else they wait two/three years if they are lucky and I should know - some of my lurgy infected patients died before their appointment to see me :furious and there'snothing I can do about it except argue with the management and really kick a:censored:s

So £300 and just seeing a doctor cpould reduce the KSI rate radically... as could some adverts and education on COAST.

Still - what the heck - we have to create non-jobs for the inept and catch folks who can be criminalised to dupe the public that Dronin' Tone is tough on crime! Basically it means scams to make cash from the innocent and to hell with the real story!

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Well,

What do you know? The company behind this 'research' sells hardware intended to deal with the problem:
http://www.respironics.com/product_libr ... od=display

I thought it was odd that they found the problem in such a large number of individuals. Looks like the BBC were duped into making a 30 minute commercial.

The real rate of the problem seems likely to be 1 in 100, not 1 in 6.

It's almost as bad as the fire extinguisher company that scared little old ladies into buying fire extinguishers by shouting: "FIRE!"

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The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

It might be fruitful to complain to the BBC as they clearly have made an error of judgement. If there is proof elsewhere that the rate is much lower than hopefully the company can get castigated on next week's show Papers might be interested too.

Not all affect happen to drive HGV for living anyway. Lot of confusion with the symptom und the long hours culture which catch up with people after a while.

HGV accident und nod off accident happen because of speed limiters in cabs, long hour cultures und some rogue operators (minority - but ist minority who cause the mayhem )

At best ist attempt to bring attention to a potential problem which affect a small minority of the population as whole.

At worst ist attempt to explain the nod off to medical condition when boredom due to speed limiter set in.

As far as plug for the equipment ist concerned... ist not an expensive machine. Should be basic peripheral und consumable expense to most hospitals. But our problem as Mad Doc says ist getting the appointment in first place for any test or treatment - whatever it ist.

I am partly to blame for lottery in prescription as it cost a lot of cash to employ a brain like mine But I specialise in designing und fiddling with drugs to bring about cure to other conditions - und hundreds of thousands of drugs are tested each year but only 1% actually make it through trials und licencing. It take time und dedicated effort to do this und ist an expensive business. For all the bad press in tabloids - we make marginal profit.

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