I just heard the trailer on BBC 2 this morning.
Why cant they do a story on the thousands of car drivers who by their very nature of driving cause accidents and holdups?
That would not get any viewers and there would be an uproar
Its even on Radio 1 This morning! 
BBC News24 just carried a 5 minute slot…
In response I have sent News24 this e-mail, lthough I doubt it will get aired 
Good Morning
As the owner of the Truck Drivers website that the makers
of Real Story used to research this issue I would like it pointed out that
the vast majority of professional drivers do not drive tired.The
drivers questioned by Grace Productions here
trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14387
cited
poor overnight parking facilities for truck drivers as the main cause of
tiredeness, not a sleep disorder.Many drivers objected strongly to
being singled out as a part of society for this programme, they feel that the very few
Truck Drivers with this problem were highlighted simply to make the
programme more sensational.In the interests of fairness I ask the
BBC to
- Point out that Truck Drivers themselves say that this is not
a problem for the huge majority- that a link to the research done on
www.TruckNetUK.com is shown on the
Real Story website to redress biased and invalid research done into
the prevelance of Sleep Aponea amongst professional
driversYours
Rikki Chequer
Managing Director
TruckNet UK
Rikki-UK:
In the interests of fairness I ask the
BBC to
‘fairness’ and ‘BBC,’ don’t often see those words in the same sentence.
It’s Crazy…
We had the opportunity to pre-empt this programme and it sensationalist approach last week.
I pointed both these threads out to Commercial Motor, The RHA, The FTA, and the SMMT.
The only ones to follow it up was the SMMT…
We as an industry could have created a noise about this and at least ensure that Truck Drivers were heard.
Instead we have got yet again a day on the BBC were we are going to be bashed about the head and labelled as killers
Rikki-UK:
It’s Crazy…We had the opportunity to pre-empt this programme and it sensationalist approach last week.
I pointed both these threads out to Commercial Motor, The RHA, The FTA, and the SMMT.The only ones to follow it up was the SMMT…
We as an industry could have created a noise about this and at least ensure that Truck Drivers were heard.
Instead we have got yet again a day on the BBC were we are going to be bashed about the head and labelled as killers
Needs some surgery to remove heads from arses first! 
The drivers interviewed totaled 8,000,at the last count there where 500,000 hgv licence holders in the uk.Whats that ? around 8% where interviewed,hardly fair even to me but it does exist amongst truck drivers.hardly surprising when our truck stops are laybys and the food dished up is fry ups…
Some people can cope with this ,others cant.
Is that other programme still going? Right to Reply. Perhaps someone would be willing to take up the matter there. After all, once a programme is ‘commissioned’ researching a condition that mainly affects people that are overweight and smoke, then the easiest way to get survey results is to stand at an MSA and only question those that, you’ve guessed it, appear overweight and have a ■■■ in their hand.
As the saying goes, “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.”
I could say more on the subject but I’m…I’m just
too
**t** **i** **r** **e** **d.** :cry:
From the page on the BBC site, linked to above, there is this quote
Obstructive sleep apnoea, or OSA, is present in 1-4% of the population, mostly among middle-aged men, says the Royal College of Physicians
That is 1-4% of the total population, not the truck driving population. So for every one person at the wheel of an HGV with this disorder how many at the wheel of other vehicles? Ten, twenty? Truck drivers are regulated in the amount of hours they can drive and work, the majority of those at the wheel of a vehicle are not.
I am considering a change of career, I mean the thought of:
“THE SLEEP DISORDER THAT CAN MAKE DRIVERS KILLERS”
makes me wonder if it is safe out there.
Have a look at Teletext News on BBC1.
Heard it on the news on the radio ,BBC news i hasten to add.
" one in 6 lorry driver’s is suffering from a disease that can make them suddenly fall asleep at the wheel "
Obviously this disease is exclusive to lorry drivers and it must be something you catch when you pass your test . No other driver’s of vehicles can suffer from this , it,s just not possible …
I nearly smacked the speaker’s when i heard it …
I am a bit thick when it comes to Maths 500,000 drivers
4% of that is 
20,000
Not impressed
I am very sorry for those families shown who have lost someone due to a driver with sleep apnea
and the driver who knew he had it deserves evrything he got, the same as a drink driver.
But I didnt hear any excuse for singling out HGV drivers, why not gas fitters, or heart surgeons,
Sorry I am still convinced they only singled out truck drivers for this “expose” becuase we are already unliked/feared ny the general motoring public, and therefore an easy target,
and if the programme makers can make the vilian of the programme someone who is already disliked it is far easier to demonise them…
sorry it did nt come across as a serious documentry… just trashy cheap shot TV
Thanks coffeeholic. Sorry i did not get chance to see it all, but no way could i sleep with that mask on, is it true that until it is to late that you do not know you have it, if so how are supposed to know.
Tried to get on a radio talk show last night . One of the topic’s of discussion was this killer lorry drivers stuff . i manaaged to get through and say hello and the cab phone ( hands free of course ) had a signal failure . Tried twice more but the phone kept cutting off , being in the middle of nowhere didnt help i suppose .
Anyway what i was going to say
"is that the survey has unfairly targeted a single user group . Given that there is also bus driver’s, van driver’s ,sales rep’s , and 7.5t driver’s then the survey should have also included them . I,m sure the results would have been fairer and the reults would have shown all user’s can suffer from the sleep disorder . But it wouldn’t be as sensational as killer lorry driver’s . "
And then answer any question’s the presenter put to me .
The presenter was also under the impression that lorry driver’s can opt out of the WTD 48 hr week and was saying we shouldn’t be allowed to .
Obviously i would have also corrected him on this point .
■■■■■■ me off the phone had a hissy fit , the only time i have felt the need to correct a few point’s on a topic of discussion on the radio and i manage to get on air and the phone pack’s up .
I might try again tonight and see if i can go back on air .