大象传媒

A new study is putting drivers with a sleep disorder behind the wheel on a simulated motorway inside a Leicestershire laboratory.

Loughborough University is testing if a 'caffeine-nap' can help drivers with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).

Drivers with the condition, which affects breathing during sleep, are being given a caffeinated drink and a 15-minute sleep by researchers before being set on a motorway driving simulation.

If the results show the technique is effective, new guidance can be issued by The Road Safety Trust to patients, medics and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

Government figures show fatigue contributed to almost 1,300 collisions during 2021, and OSA patients are at an increased risk of tiredness at the wheel.

大象传媒 Leicester's Giles Taylor has been to meet project lead Professor Ashleigh Filtness, and Gary Spence who is taking part in the research.