Assessment of Sleep Disorders in Professional Drivers

Introduction: Road accidents constitute a major public health problem. Professional drivers are on the front line and a large number of accidents involving them could be linked to drowsy driving. The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of sleep disorders while driving and to identify the main risk factors among professional drivers.

Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional epidemiological study. The study population consists of professional heavy goods vehicle drivers. The Berlin and Epworth questionnaires and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used to collect data.

Results: Two hundred and sixty-five male drivers with an average age of 42.3 ± 9.8 years participated in the study. The body mass index was high in 165 (62.3%) and smoking was found in 128 (48.3%) drivers. The pace of working in atypical hours is adopted by 130 (49.1%) drivers and 173 (65.3%) declared covering long distances of more than 500 km per day. Seventy drivers (26.4%) drive more than 12 hours per day. The average duration of sleep on the working day is less than 6 hours among 113 (42.6%) drivers. Half of the drivers declared themselves insomniac and drowsiness while driving was reported by 235 (88.7%). Sleep apnea syndrome was suspected in 27 (10.2%).

Conclusion: Information and awareness on the dangers of drowsy driving with quality medical monitoring should help protect the health of these drivers and improve road safety.

Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
08. Oktober 2025