'Taxi driving caused DVT' says widow

Drivers have been warned of the risk of developing DVT

A taxi driver who died of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) may have done so as a result of his job, his widow has said.

Sam Attwood, 59, of Dorchester, Dorset, died on 8 October after developing a blood clot in his leg which moved up into his lungs and killed him.

His widow, Tina, a partner in the couple's taxi firm, RS Cars, said an inquest had found her husband to have died of natural causes, but she believed his job was to blame.

Mrs Attwood said: "I didn't understand why one minute he was here and the next minute he is gone."

'Very seriously'

The condition has become associated with air travel, where passengers tend to sit immobile for long periods of time.

But Mrs Attwood said her husband would often spend seven hours in his car, which included trips from Dorset to Heathrow Airport.

She said: "In a sense, if people are sitting in an aeroplane and not moving, it's no different to sitting in a car and not moving."

Tim Harry, who was a friend of Mr Attwood and also a taxi driver, said: "A lot of people are now taking DVT very seriously.

'Bit sedentary'

"If you are doing a long trip it's something you have to bear in mind.

"In the taxi business we all tend to be a bit sedentary and sit in our cars all day."

The RAC Foundation recently warned drivers could be at risk from DVT on long trips earlier this year.

RAC Foundation executive director Edmund King said: "It is, as yet, uncertain whether DVT poses a threat to everyone travelling or immobile for more than four hours or whether travelling for long period can trigger DVT in those who are medically or genetically predisposed to blood clots."

However, Mr King suggested drivers take a break at least every two hours to walk around, to drink water and to rotate their feet.