Growing Danger On The Highways

How many times have you been driving on agoods from point A to point B. But they are
highway and the large truck in front of you slowlyjeopardizing their own lives and the lives of all on
crosses the yellow line and then, with a jerk, thethe roads with them.
driver corrects himself and pulls the truck over toTheir profession and resultant way of life leads to
the right. That happened to me just two dayssome very unhealthy eating habits, sedentary
ago on my way to New Mexico on I25 inlifestyles-sitting most of the day while driving, and
Colorado. It can happen anywhere, anytime.long hours resulting in poor sleeping patterns. They
The annual report from the U.S. Bureau of Labortend to be overweight just like most of their
Statistics recently reported that "fatal highwaybrethren in the rest of the country maybe even
incidents remained the most frequent type ofmore so.
fatal workplace event, accounting for one inAll of these factors lead to pre diabetes,
every four fatalities nationally in 2005" the latestSyndrome X and sleep apnea and eventually to
year they have the figures. Fatal highwaydiabetes.
incidents rose by 2 percent in 2005, accountingThe threat they pose of "sleep driving" or just
for 1,428 worker deaths.falling asleep at the wheel is every bit as serious
ONE IN FOUR!as an intoxicated driver and maybe more so. A
Since 2002 thru 2005 there has been a nearlystudy showed that people with sleep apnea were
25% increase in fatal and non fatal crashestoseven times more likely to have multiple car
144,742 and the trend continues upward.accidents.
All manner of goods from produce to pool tablesThere are a variety of devices that can keep
from tires to textiles are moved around thedrivers awake if they are suspect. The 'nap
country by means of the trucking industry.zapper' is the most popular and effective. You
Truckers moreover are the salt of the earth.attach it to your ear. When it detects a nodding
Truck drivers, men and women , across themotion of your head as though you are dozing
country are a vital cog in the wheel of theoff an alarm goes off waking you and the
economy. Interstate and intrastate commerceoccupants of the vehicle.
largely depends on the trucking industry to get