New DVSA study could mean medical condition is removed from 'banned' list

Loughborough University is seeking local people with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) for a new study to assess whether ‘caffeine-naps’ – a caffeinated drink followed by a 15-minute nap – can reduce driver fatigue.

A new DVSA-related study could give drivers with medical conditions the greenlight to travel. Loughborough University is seeking local people with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) for a new study to assess whether ‘caffeine-naps’ – a caffeinated drink followed by a 15-minute nap – can reduce driver fatigue.

Fatigue is a serious road safety issue, contributing to 1,195 collisions in 2021 alone, according to government figures. The general advice if a driver feels sleepy is to stop driving and have a caffeinated drink followed by a 15-minute nap. However, it is not known if the benefits of caffeine and a nap are universally applicable.

The Loughborough research - led by Professor Ashleigh Filtness, an expert in Transport, Human Factors, and Sleep Science in the Transport Safety Research Centre - aims to understand if drivers with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) (a sleep disorder affecting breathing) have a different relationship with napping and caffeine than those who have never experienced a sleep disorder.

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Participants are needed for the study, which will involve completing a series of drives in a driving simulator while wearing small sensors that record electrical activity in the brain. The NHS explains sleep apnoea is when your breathing stops and starts while you sleep.

The most common type is called obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Sleep apnoea needs to be treated because it can lead to more serious problems. “This is a great opportunity for local residents with OSA to help shape new safety guidance specifically targeted at supporting drivers like themselves. We should all know what to do if we experience driver sleepiness and deserve access to scientifically evaluated advice specific to our context”, said Professor Filtness.

Funded by The Road Safety Trust, the study is open to adults with treated OSA who drive regularly, hold a full licence, and live within 40 minutes of Loughborough University (taxi transport provided). The study is unsuitable for those with epilepsy, caffeine intolerance, or motion sickness.