The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently published a special report describing its findings from the investigation of a deadly train derailment in the Bronx, New York, in 2013. Published in the November/December issue of the Annals of Family Medicine, the NTSB’s report, “Fatal Consequences: Obstructive Sleep Apnea in a Train Engineer,” presents a familiar tale of driver/operator fatigue and the disastrous consequences of untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

On Dec. 1, 2013, a Metro-North passenger train violently derailed, leaving four dead and 59 others injured. The NTSB investigation concluded that the train operator – who was later diagnosed with severe OSA – had fallen asleep, causing the speeding train to run out of control and off the tracks. The NTSB also made recommendations to the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Physicians for enhancements to physician education regarding obstructive sleep apnea.

A single driver or operator with an untreated sleep disease can leave all American travelers and commuters at risk on railroads, highways and airplanes. To combat the dangers of drowsy driving and operator fatigue, the AASM and its Sleep and Transportation Safety Awareness Task Force strive to provide you with the resources to prioritize your patients’ safety.

As American lives are at risk and stakes are higher than ever, the AASM continues to advocate for sleep-smart transit by promoting forward-thinking drowsy driving policy and building strategic alliances with other concerned stakeholders. Explore the patient safety resources available on the Evolve Sleep website. Your patients require all-hands-on-deck to keep American transit safe through healthy, restorative sleep.

Aerial view of the December 1, 2013 Metro North train derailment in Bronx, N.Y. (National Transportation Safety Board)