Sleep Researchers Repeat Plea for Driver Testing

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sleep researchers have again asked the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to approve a demonstration program they say could provide tremendous benefits to trucking companies.

William Dement, director of the Stanford University Sleep Research Center, and Anthony McMahon, president of Safety Research Center in Bethesda, Md., said at a Nov. 13 press conference that their anti-fatigue program would create a domino effect.

Well-rested drivers are less likely than tired drivers to have accidents, and, if accidents decline, insurance rates would fall, the two said. Drivers would more likely want to remain with companies that treat them better, helping companies avoid the cost of retraining and become more profitable.

For the full story, see the Nov. 19 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.