LIRR Crash Prompts More Questions About Sleep Apnea
I received a bunch of texts early Wednesday morning. They were from friends and family checking if I was alright. I was commuting to work at the time, and received the text and alerts about the horrible LIRR crash when I got off my A train stop, about 3 miles from the crash. Thankfully no one was killed, but more than 100 people were injured when a train failed to stop and hit a bumping block in the Atlantic terminal. The train was reportedly traveling 10 mph, nearly double the speed limit for approaching trains. They also indicate that the engineer may have been suffering from sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea
The driver cannot recall the crash. Sleep apnea or another type of human error may have been involved. Repeatedly awakened and robbed of sleep, sleep apnea sufferers are at risk for drowsy driving. Sufferers of the disorder may fall asleep in micro bursts and often have no memory of it. The engineer in a September 2016 New Jersey train crash had undiagnosed sleep apnea. This promoted the Federal Railroad Administration to recommend rail agencies screen drivers for the disorder. After the Hoboken crash, NJ Transit improved its sleep apnea screening process, which has been in place since 2005. They also now require a second member to the cab when a train arrives in Hoboken and Atlantic City.
These regulations are important. Drowsy driving is a very serious problem. Something is clearly not working properly. Consequently, knowing more information about a driver's status will help everyone.
