Those big rigs driving down the road can be pretty scary. Many times they are driving at speeds well over the posted limit, carrying tons of heavy products making them harder to stop in an emergency situation. That on top of a lack of quality sleep may be contributing to truck accidents in Baton Rouge and across the United States.

Sleep apnea is a new culprit that may be contributing to an increase in the number of truck accidents, and now recommendations are in the works to try to prevent accidents that may be caused by fatigue. Fatigue is a symptom of sleep apnea, a condition that affects breathing during sleep, causing those affected to not get proper sleep. This condition could lead to drivers falling asleep behind the wheel.

Drivers who are also obese are at an increased risk for sleep apnea, and not the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee will be working to draft recommendations to help mitigate the effects of sleep apnea on commercial drivers. These recommendations may be presented later this year to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which could adopt the proposal making guidelines for testing commercial drivers for the disorder, and how to deal with those who are diagnosed with sleep apnea.

These efforts will hopefully reduce the number of truck accidents in Louisiana and make the roads safer for the truck drivers and other people on the road. Although some in the trucking industry don't agree that sleep apnea increases accidents, those who have had family members injured or killed by truckers who suffered from sleep apnea hope that these recommendations will save the lives of countless people.

Source: The Huffington Post, "Sleep Apnea In Truck Drivers: Advisory Panels Recommend Screening For Condition In Obese Drivers," Amanda L. Chan, Dec. 19, 2012