good motoring
Don’t sleep on your safety
H.Kishie Singh

Robin (name changed) would fall asleep at all times of the day. It was the cause of great amusement when he would fall asleep at dinner as he kneeled over and rested his face on a plateful of noodles! In a couple of minutes he would be back to normal.

Over the years, Robin had accidents as a result of which five cars had to be written off. He would just fall asleep at the wheel. The reason, unknown to him and his family was, Sleep Apnoea Syndrome (S.A.S.) or Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (O.S.A).

The last time it happened Robin drove over the road divider on Madhya Marg and the car ended up on the roof. As in most cases of the accidents caused by drivers suffering from S.A.S, only a single car is involved.

When Robin was taken for a medical examination, it did not take the doctors long to diagnose that Robin was suffering from S.A.S.

Earlier the police in India did not pay serous attention to single vehicle accidents since they did not involve a third party. However there is a marked increase in such accidents and both the doctors and the police are concerned.

Doctors say a large number of people come to hospital with a snoring problem. People who snore do not get a good night’s rest, and this could lead to S.A.S.

S.A.S is a serious problem, but it can be cured easily. The symptoms are easy to detect: heavy snoring and a disturbed sleep pattern at night, choking while asleep, feeling tired on waking up, and being sluggish all day long.

PGI’s Department of Pulmonary Medicine admits that last year more than 50 people who came to them were diagnosed with S.A.S. In most cases, they were diagnosed accidentally. A lot of the patients admitted to having fallen asleep while driving.

For the last two years, Robin has been on a machine that monitors the respiratory system. It pumps air into the lungs under pressure which is controlled by a computer. "I put on the mask before I go to bed and I am out like a candle. First I used to wake up a dozen times at night, now I sleep through like a babe and wake up refreshed and, guess what, I drove to Agra by myself, wide awake and with no danger of falling asleep."

The U.S. Road Safety Council has put out some horrifying statistics: 33 to 40 per cent of the road accidents in the US are caused due to lack of sleep.

It would also be a very good idea if all drivers of public vehicles, taxis, buses and trucks were tested for S.A.S. on a regular basis. Lives are at stake. Now is the time to give it a thought.

Happy motoring.