Did you know truck and or bus drivers need to have physicals to drive? And, did you know we provide driver physicals at HOPE Chiropractic.
This fact is probably well known by those who drive professionally but often forgotten by those of us who aren't in a driving profession because you like me probably are thinking how strenuous could driving really be, right.
The trouble we are looking for in a physical for a commercial driver extends far beyond the strain of driving and is most likely a direct result of live on the road and behind the wheel.
The first, and most prevalent, side effect of life behind the wheel is obesity. A CDC Survey found that 69% of long haul truck drivers are obese, with 17% being morbidly obese. This is double the average worker in the US and increases the drivers risk for type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, heart disease, cancer, joint and back pain, and stroke. These health conditions can disqualify a driver from receiving their commercial driver’s license, because they increase the risk of a crash, and essentially take away the driver's livelihood.
The above risks are further amplified by over half of drivers smoking, a number, like obesity, that is over twice that of the average worker and adds increased risk of cancer to the mix.
Driver physicals help us to catch these conditions as they develop and help us find ways to prevent them from progressing into full on disease that can threaten the driver's life and lively-hood as well as the safety of those around us.
So, physicals for professional drivers are not just to check to see if they are "fit to drive", it is to make sure they are "safe to drive" and don't pose any additional risk to themselves or those driving on the road with them.
For more information on DOT Physicals, give the office a call at 515-868-0202.