A group of doctors has advocated the need for "sleep screening" of truck drivers to bring down road accidents by at least 43 per cent.

The risk of road accidents is rising due to lack of sleep among truck drivers, Dr Rajesh Swarnkar, president of South East Asian Academy of Sleep Medicine, told PTI on Sunday.

"Keeping this in mind, the regional transport offices (RTOs) must ask truck drivers to fill up a form every two years with their body mass index (BMI) as well as details like whether they like to sleep during the day or whether they snore at night. The analysis of their replies and medical examinations can tell us if truck drivers have sleep apnea or any other related illness," Dr Swarnkar informed.

If truck drivers sleep for seven to eight hours in a day. the risk of road accidents can be brought down by 43 per cent, he said.

Driver Dharmendra Sharma, who was about to commence a long journey from Transport Nagar here, said he manages to get just two to four hours of sleep per day, which turns him lethargic and also affects his concentration.

Several other drivers said traffic jams, queues at toll plazas and the pressure of on-time delivery of goods are also causing sleeplessness.

"We can't sleep by the road since we fear someone may steal diesel, spare parts or goods," one of them added.

Speaking on the issue, CL Mukati, chairman of National RTO and Traffic Committee of All-India Motor Transport Congress, an umbrella body of truckers, said the idea of sleep screening was a very good one.

"The transport department should authorise hospitals to conduct regular health check-ups and sleep screening of truck drivers. If a driver is found to be suffering from any sleep-related disease as per the test, then he should be treated free of cost. If the government wants, our organisation can provide funds for this," Mukati said.

Moreover, the working hours of drivers should be fixed and the government should build rest houses for truck drivers every 200 kilometres on the highways, he added.

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