Medical Conditions and Crash Risk in Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between diagnosed medical conditions and prospective crashes in commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. METHODS: Three databases (demographics, medical conditions, and crashes) from the Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) were linked and filtered to examine whether various medical diagnoses were associated with prospective crashes from 2007 to 2017. Univariate and cox proportional hazard analysis were calculated for medical conditions and their association with crash risk. RESULTS: Crashes occurred on average within 2 years following a medical diagnosis. Between 16% and 21% of drivers with diabetes, vision impairment, sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease crashed post diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Licensing authorities and policy makers should consider further assessment if a CMV driver has been diagnosed with either diabetes or multiple sclerosis.