A new investigative report has shown that sleep apnea has caused yet another fatal public transportation accident in the United States.
On Tuesday, October 28, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a report stating that the deadly Bronx train accident that took place last year was caused by the railroad engineer’s severe obstructive sleep apnea.
The fatal train accident took place in the early morning hours of December 1, 2014, when engineer William Rockefeller was conducting the train through the Bronx to Grand Central Station. He said that he became dazed by the railroad tracks and fell asleep. The train derailed as it sped around a sharp curve at over 80 miles per hour, killing four passengers and injuring at least 61 others.
The NTSB said in the report that the train accident would have been prevented by required sleep disorder screenings as well as the absence of an automated system that would have triggered the speeding train’s brakes. In addition, the safety board said that the engineer’s constantly-shifting work schedule likely exacerbated his fatigue and sleep apnea.
Earlier in 2014, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) released a report stating that Metro-North Railroad was too often putting train punctuality ahead of safety – an issue that caused at least four crashes in the past year. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which runs the railroad responded by saying that it was taking measures to increase safety, including installing a new management team and increasing employee training.
Currently, federal railroad officials are investigating how sleep disorder screenings could increase safety, while the MTA is in discussions with local unions regarding sleep apnea tests and screenings. While some regional transportation agencies require sleep apnea screenings, tests, questionnaires, and treatments, there is no federal requirement at this time.
To read more about the NTSB report and how sleep apnea caused a train accident, visit The Wall Street Journal.
Surgical Sleep Solutions for Sleep Apnea
The transportation industry is struggling to keep their drivers and passengers safe without discriminating against operators or harming their bottom line. In many cases, sleep apnea is expensive to diagnose (it involves an overnight sleep study) and difficult to treat (just over half of CPAP device users are compliant).
At Surgical Sleep Solutions, we believe that bimaxillary surgery may be part of a workable answer to the issue of obstructive sleep apnea, commercial driver fatigue, and sleep apnea regulations. To learn more about our sleep apnea procedure and treatment model please call 833-981-0932.