Rail Safety Megathread. Updated July 23, 2024

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16. US nixes sleep apnea test plan for truckers, train engineers

Source: Associated Press

US nixes sleep apnea test plan for truckers, train engineers

By MICHAEL BALSAMO and MICHAEL R. SISAK
32 minutes ago

U.S. officials are abandoning plans to require sleep apnea screening for truck drivers and train engineers, a decision that safety experts say puts millions of lives at risk.

The Federal Railroad Administration and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said late last week that they are no longer pursuing the regulation that would require testing for the fatigue-inducing disorder that’s been blamed for deadly rail crashes in New York City and New Jersey and several highway crashes.

The agencies argue that it should be up to railroads and trucking companies to decide whether to test employees. One railroad that does test, Metro-North in the New York City suburbs, found that 11.6 percent of its engineers have sleep apnea.

The decision to kill the sleep apnea regulation is the latest step in President Donald Trump’s campaign to drastically slash federal regulations. The Trump administration has withdrawn or delayed hundreds of proposed regulations since he took office in January — moves the president has said will help bolster economic growth.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/ac5ac5c34bf64a09af0a0678e0823ff6/US-nixes-sleep-apnea-test-plan-for-truckers,-train-engineers