Lifestyle, occupational factors that may put truck drivers in danger

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-10/uouh-crl102115.php

Public Release: 21-Oct-2015
Crash risk: Lifestyle, occupational factors that may put truck drivers in danger
University of Utah Health Sciences

Truck drivers who are frequently fatigued after work, use cell phones while driving, or have an elevated pulse pressure - a potential predictor of cardiovascular disease - may be at increased risk for getting into truck accidents, according to a study by the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (RMCOEH) at the University of Utah School of Medicine and published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JOEM).

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Long-haul truck driving is one of the deadliest professions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Truck drivers are involved in an estimated 250,000 crashes each year, with 1 to 2 percent resulting in fatalities.

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Two indicators of poor health management - high pulse pressure and fatigue - were highly associated with crash risk. High pulse pressure, a blood pressure measurement, may signal heart problems. Thiese adds that any number of characteristics common to the profession - including stress, long hours, heavy lifting, and lack of sleep and exercise - could contribute to these conditions.

As has been observed among the general population, cell phone use while driving was also highly associated with crash risk.

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