Saudi Gazette report

DAMMAM — A large number of truck drivers in the Kingdom could not resist drowsiness while driving and that about 95 percent of them had slept at least once while at the wheel, Makkah daily reported on Tuesday quoting a study.

The study was conducted by researchers from Prince Sultan Military College for Health Sciences in collaboration with the center for medicine and research of sleep at King Saud University in Riyadh.

The study covered a total of 338 truck drivers in the Kingdom who all said they slept once or twice while driving in 2019.

The study warned that the drivers who continue to drive for five hours or more continuously will be subject to loosing breath and would not be able to focus on the road.

The study advised concerned authorities to codify laws and take preventive measures to ensure that the drivers are medically fit, ready and are not sleepy.

It said about 94 percent of the drivers continue to drive for more than five hours every day and that about 29 percent of them are liable to suffer from loss of breath.

The study also said about 49 percent of truck drivers had experienced drowsiness repeatedly.

Meanwhile as many as 2.8 million vehicles have crossed the entries to the holy sites during the just-concluded Haj, according to the Transport Ministry.

The ministry said as many as 1,071,009 cars have entered through the Makkah entry points, 1,639289 via the Jeddah entry points and 261,899 via the Madinah roads.