Changes coming to the DOT physical....

But the system is fundamentally flawed, by only being able to address 1/4 of the equation, and treating it as if they can correct for all with 1

 

That's how you calculate BMI.

 

That still begs the question that has not been answered: what is the number of crashes and the number of roadway deaths CAUSED by sleep apnea. We don't know. We also don't know how many of these crashes would be prevented by aggressive sleep apnea regulations. Merely asserting there is a problem, and then suggesting an unsupported solution is not good enough.

Second, there are federal guidelines requiring cost/benefit analysis of new regulations. Since we don't know the benefits, nor the costs, there is no way this regulation can meet those guidelines.

 

Actually it's not. Using a caliper is how you get it. Height vs weight can NOT take in account muscle which even in an overweight person is a big contributor. The height/weight thing assumes almost no muscle mass. Do the math on your height/weight and then take it with a caliper and watch how off it is! When I used to have a mid grade gut my height vs weight didn't take into consideration that my legs were almost pure muscle thanks to my job for the last couple years. Muscle weighs ALOT more than fat and a height vs weight equation could easily land my 10+ percentage points higher than it was. I've got a buddy who is the same height and weight as me, except he's pure muscle with a bodyfat percentage so low it's literally unhealthy. If we both do the height/weight thing we'll be the same. WRONG!

 

That would take time to study, if "tired" driving caused the accidents. That would also require the driver, whether truck or car, to ADMIT they fell asleep or were tired when the accident took place. Then if they actually did they'd have to be tested for sleep apnea to know if that was the reason they were tired or if they just stayed up late binge watching Seinfeld.

The problem is that this kind of thing will probably never be known. Lets move ahead 10 years into the future. Driving accidents of all kinds are down say 7%. The people who pressed for sleep apnea testing will be crowing that they were right, the evidence shows crashes are down since we implemented new guidelines!

The truck manufacturers will be crowing the new tech they put into the trucks is the reason accidents are down.

DoT will be crying that it was the new HoS regulations combined with new CDL requirements!

In the end, we'll never know who actually had the bigger impact.

So for now, they see a possible problem and they try to regulate it.


Ed

 

See post 129.
The bureaucrats will claim it is all their doing, and use it as an excuse to expand their fifedom even more.

 

Follow the money...the members of fmsca's medical board are all involved in the pharmaceutical/medical equipment industry, and ramrodded all of this sleep apnea garbage without any real thought of what it would cost the industry or the economy. When I got hit with a 3 month card for a sleep study a couple of years , the doctors at the clinic flatly refused to answer questions, the only real reliable source was my own doctor who is actually a bit strict on this stuff. It was still like pulling teeth trying to get answers from people though, the worst being Veriha's health insurance provider. The way the Feds have been acting, pushing through useless safety rules designed to line the pockets of regulators with lobbying money rather than actual real-world safety.

 

It may not have a ton of government money funding it but if that funding is pulled it's done.

 

It's just not that simple. To truly repeal the ACA you have to do one of two things. You have to reinstate the old laws, or you have to create new ones. Otherwise the whole system becomes unregulated and god help us all if that happens.


Ed