FAA to "check" overweight pilots for restful sleep..

rollincoal

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Really driver, no, it ain't bout time. Pretty soon there'll be no-one left to point fingers at. I know this is a tired analogy but, it's like how the Nazi's singled out groups one at a time and no-one complained cause they weren't part of that group then they'd singled out every group and there was no-one left to protest. It's bout time they were put in their proper place, told to shove it with their onerous, unnecessary regulating every aspect of an individual's life. At what point does it end? It's way past absurd.
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
At what point does it end? It's way past absurd.

It's not absurd if you are one of the companies that stand to profit big by administering these dubious evaulations. For them, it's an opportunity to cash in.

You can see their propaganda operation running full out by their injecting "facts" into the public conversation like "... tests for obstructive sleep apnea will be extended for all pilots because 30% of people with a BMI less than 30 suffer from the problem." That from the FAA flight surgeon.

It's not enough that fat people are "at risk" for this condition. Now 30% of people who are under the magic BMI number are not only at risk but actually suffer from the problem too. Sadly, the airlines are buying this load of crap and blindly marching to the beat of the drum of the industry OOIDA calls "Big Sleep."

In the name of all that is holy ... ground the planes! If that many pilots suffer from "the problem," no one is safe!

And if its true for pilots, it's true for the general public too, if not more so, is it not?

In the name of all that is holy ... halt all traffic ... trucks, cars, trains; all of it! If that many people suffer from "the problem," no one is safe!

Think of the children! If we can save even one life, it will be worth it! Everyone must be evaluated for sleep apnea now! It's the right thing to do! Yes, the evaluation costs a fair amount of money, but given the safety concerns and social benefits, it's a bargain at twice the price, right?

And don't you dare disagree. You want to be on the side of safety don't you?
 
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OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
ok you brainiacs.....what do YOU suggest? Do you want possible unsafe drivers out there?.....should there be NO standards?....just wide open fly by the seat....let anyone drive.....heck let epileptics drive even....
 

paullud

Veteran Expediter
ok you brainiacs.....what do YOU suggest? Do you want possible unsafe drivers out there?.....should there be NO standards?....just wide open fly by the seat....let anyone drive.....heck let epileptics drive even....

Someone having sleep apnea isn't a bad driver simply because they have sleep apnea.

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OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
Someone having sleep apnea isn't a bad driver simply because they have sleep apnea.

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that doesn't answer the question......your scenerio makes them a risky driver to have on the road....lack of sleep/exhaustion....

a diabetic is not a bad driver make either.. neither just a risk factor....
 

asjssl

Veteran Expediter
Fleet Owner
I have sleep apnea...I'm a poster child for it....the CPAP will change your life..my point of posting the article was the have been hammering commercial drivers for a few years on this....but know they say " let's check the pilots if the properly rested".. I guess what I am getting at is there is more $$$ in fat drivers than pilots..


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OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
I have sleep apnea...I'm a poster child for it....the CPAP will change your life..my point of posting the article was the have been hammering commercial drivers for a few years on this....but know they say " let's check the pilots if the properly rested".. I guess what I am getting at is there is more $$$ in fat drivers than pilots..


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I think ALL professional drivers should be tested....Train engineers, bus drivers, Truck drivers, heavy equipment operators.....
further.....making us get a yearly DOT check up is crap as well....there are NO garantees in life
 
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Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
ok you brainiacs.....what do YOU suggest? Do you want possible unsafe drivers out there?.....should there be NO standards?....just wide open fly by the seat....let anyone drive.....heck let epileptics drive even....
The restrictions shouldn't be any stricter for operating a CMV than they are for the general driving public. Epileptics, for example, can drive a car if they have their epilepsy under control (time varies by state), but drivers of CMVs cannot drive regardless, even if their seizures are fully under control. Diabetics with injectable insulin cannot drive a CMV but they can drive a car. There are no statistics that show those using insulin have more accidents than those who don't, so extrapolating non-existent statistics to apply to commercial drivers is ridiculous. People with sleep apnea don't have a higher rate of accidents, either. People who are fatigued do, though, and there's already a regulation for both commercial and non-commercial drivers against driving while fatigued.

Regulations need to make sense, and they need to make sense in the arena of actually reducing accidents, rather than making sense in the realm of justifying the position of the FMCSA. At this point, there really and truly is no need for any new and additional regulations. Accidents are caused by certain things, all of which are already on the books.

As for pilots, why bother? Aaccording to a soon-to-be released study commissioned by the FAA, if it weren't for automated systems, our pilots would suck at flying—bad.
Pilots Rely Too Much on Automation, Panel Says - WSJ.com
 

rollincoal

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I think sleep apnea is another ridiculous ploy to pick money from drivers however, I do believe it is a real medical condition. I never advocated for no standards. I just believe things are over the top. Take for example the new regs going into effect in May 2014 that require any physician performing a DOT physical to have some special government certification, or they can't perform a physical. We're talking about a simple routine here, a physical. That, coupled with the liability, is creating a shortage of doctors who will perform DOT physicals. An artificial shortage created by the government. So a routine procedure your family doctor would do for $50 is likely going to cost a $100 or more next year, bet on it. And for what?

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paullud

Veteran Expediter
that doesn't answer the question......your scenerio makes them a risky driver to have on the road....lack of sleep/exhaustion....

a diabetic is not a bad driver make either.. neither just a risk factor....

It doesn't make them risky, that was my answer. A fat guy with sleep apnea is only a risk if they are driving while tired and is no different than a skinny guy driving while tired.

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Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
....there are NO garantees in life
Exactly! Why try and legislate guaranteed safety? If we want to be totally safe why not make the physical requirements for truck driver even more stringent?

20/20 vision without corrective lenses. A driver could break a lens or lose a contact while driving.

Height between 5'10" and 6'2". Short people can't be seen or see over the steering wheel. Tall people could hit their head on the cab roof while going over rough roads and be rendered unconscious.

Proven proficiency at writing and speling.

Mandatory 15 minutes of vigorous cardio-exercise 3 times a day. Bluetooth enabled heart rate monitor will communicate with EOBR.

Where does it finally end?
 

Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
A fat guy with sleep apnea is only a risk if they are driving while tired and is no different than a skinny guy driving while tired.
That's why we need to do away with fat and skinny drivers. Both are much too dangerous.
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
Like a professional athlete ....a professional driver should be in the best shape that they can possibly be in.... If you fail the test your gone!
 
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