It is very often minimized while the consequences can be very important, and it is simple to spot.
Each year in France, thousands of dramas on the road upset lives. Whether it is a daily trip to take children to school, a departure on vacation or a simple round trip to the supermarket, no one is safe. The causes are multiple: speeding, telephone use, difficult weather conditions … But there is a particularly insidious risk factor, often minimized by drivers. It affects both pressed parents in the morning and travel professionals or vacationers on the leave of the holidays. However, most of us continue to take the wheel by ignoring certain signals.
Road safety experts are formal: this sign that far too many drivers neglect is fatigue behind the wheel. “From the first signs of drowsiness, the driver must stop because the risks of having an accident within half an hour are multiplied by 3 or 4”says Professor Damien Léger, president of the scientific council of the National Institute of Sleep and Vigilance (INSV) with road safety. This alarming statistic reveals the extent of a phenomenon still too underestimated. Especially since the “reflexes are altered and the more quickly it rolls and the more the consequences are serious in the event of an accident “, underlines the specialist.
Fatigue actually acts as a real poison for our reflexes: it slows down our reaction times, decreases our vigilance and alters our capacity for judgment. Repeated yawns, heavy eyelids, difficulties in maintaining its trajectory or this feeling of “dropping out” for a few seconds are as many signals that our organization addresses us to alert us. Unfortunately, many who persist in driving by saying that they will hold well until destination, thus endangering their own safety and that of other passengers and road users.
To avoid these dangerous situations, road safety recommends several simple but effective preventive measures. Before a long journey, it is essential to sleep well the previous night and avoid too generous meals that promote drowsiness. During the trip, take a fifteen -minute break every two hours allows you to maintain an optimal level of attention. If the first signs of fatigue appear, the only really safe solution remains immediate stop in a secure place to take a maximum nap. And contrary to popular belief, open the window, mount the sound of the radio or drink coffee are only temporary and ineffective solutions FFFE to drowsiness at the wheel!
