In this period of high traffic on French highways, the Vinci Autoroutes Foundation recalls that drowsiness remains the leading cause of fatal accidents on the motorway, thus calling into question nearly five decades of road repression centered around the dogma of the speed.
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In 2020, due to a drop in traffic on the motorway network, the number of fatalities fell by 24% in one year, to 201 people. Let us recall that although it kills less than the secondary network or the agglomerations, the motorway network concentrates a large part of the police repression with a significant increase in speed tracking by increasingly sophisticated equipment. A study, carried out by a team of researchers from the Hospices Civils de Lyon and the Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (Inserm U1028) among a population of 185 drivers in three areas of the A7 motorway, highlights that nearly 'one in two drivers doze off on long journeys. 49% of the 185 motorists surveyed admit to having experienced episodes of drowsiness at the wheel in the year preceding the survey. At the time of the survey,46% of them felt drowsy. The length of the journey amplifies the state of drowsiness. Beyond 400 km, more than two thirds of drivers are affected by a loss of attention. However, these drops in the level of alertness and these sudden absences at the wheel are the cause of a loss of control of the vehicle leading to accidents.
The study by the Vinci Autoroutes Foundation shows the link between drowsiness at the wheel and the time asleep the night before the trip.
According to the survey, more than one in four drivers had slept 5 hours or less.
However, 76% of drivers of drivers who have slept badly are sleepy during their trip.
To prevent the risk of drowsiness, researchers are encouraging motorists to get a full night's sleep the day before leaving and to prepare their luggage in advance to avoid stress, to take regular breaks throughout the trip, to take a 15 to 20 minute nap at midday, refrain from drinking alcohol and eating properly.
A high calorie diet can lead to decreased alertness.
