Sleep Apnea and the Hidden Risk of Drowsy Driving
Most people understand that driving while tired can be dangerous. But what’s often overlooked is how sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) quietly increase the risk of motor vehicle crashes — sometimes with devastating results.
Sleep apnea causes repeated pauses in breathing throughout the night, leading to fragmented sleep and drops in blood oxygen. Even when patients don’t feel excessively tired, this disrupted sleep can impair alertness, reaction time, and concentration — the very skills that keep drivers safe behind the wheel.
What The Research Tells Us
Research shows that individuals with untreated OSA are significantly more likely to be involved in traffic accidents than those without the condition. A study published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that drivers with sleep apnea have more than twice the risk of a motor vehicle crash compared to those without it.¹ Among commercial drivers, that risk rises even higher — especially when treatment such as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is prescribed but not used consistently.²
The Risks of Drowsy Driving
One tragic example underscoring this danger occurred in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 2016, when a commuter train engineer with undiagnosed sleep apnea failed to slow the train as it entered the station, resulting in one fatality and more than a hundred injuries. Investigators later determined that sleep-related fatigue from untreated OSA played a key role in the crash.³
A similar case gained national attention in 2014, when comedian Tracy Morgan was critically injured in a highway collision caused by a sleep-deprived truck driver suffering from untreated sleep apnea.⁴ The crash, which killed one passenger and severely injured Morgan, brought widespread attention to the dangers of fatigue and undiagnosed sleep disorders among commercial drivers.
For many people, the risk isn’t just about feeling sleepy — it’s about the unseen cognitive effects of poor-quality sleep. Even short, involuntary “microsleeps” lasting just a few seconds can occur without warning and are enough to cause a vehicle to drift or miss a signal. Drivers with OSA experience these episodes more frequently, even when they don’t realize they’re dozing off.⁵
Quality Sleep is the Key to safe driving
The good news is that effective treatment greatly reduces these risks. Studies have shown that individuals who consistently use CPAP therapy can return their crash risk close to that of the general population.⁶ By restoring steady oxygen flow and improving the quality of sleep, treatment helps patients wake up more alert and stay attentive throughout the day.
Untreated sleep apnea is a significant contributor to excessive daytime sleepiness and impaired alertness, both of which elevate the risk of drowsy driving and related accidents. Early identification and effective management of sleep apnea are therefore critical public health measures. BetterNight provides comprehensive solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea, combining evidence-based screening, home sleep testing, and tailored therapy interventions. Through these services, BetterNight supports efforts to mitigate the risks associated with drowsy driving and to enhance overall patient safety and well-being.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Risk of motor vehicle accidents is higher in people with sleep apnea. AASM.org, 2015
Tregear S, Reston J, Schoelles K, Phillips B. Obstructive sleep apnea and risk of motor vehicle crash: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Sleep Med. 2009;5(6):573–581.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Railroad Accident Report: Hoboken, NJ, NJ Transit Train 1614. 2016.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Highway Accident Report: Truck-Tractor Semitrailer Median Crossover Collision, Cranbury, NJ, June 7, 2014. (Tracy Morgan crash) NTSB Report HAR-15/02
Philip P, et al. Fatigue, sleepiness, and performance in simulated driving: effects of sleep disorders and sleep restriction. Sleep Med. 2018;50:94–101.
Howard ME, et al. Sleep apnea and motor vehicle crash risk in a large community-based study. Sleep. 2020;43(11):zsaa121.