According to statistics, about 3% of road accidents occur when the driver is under the influence of medication. But what we know less is that, on the road, pedestrians can also be subject to the harmful influence of certain molecules… Thus, researchers from the University of Bordeaux have succeeded in establishing a link between the consumption of drugs labeled “dangerous for driving” and pedestrian mortality.
“This is the first time that a link between the taking of medication by pedestrians and the risk of road accidents has been highlighted”, emphasizes Emmanuel Lagarde, research director at Inserm, who participated in the study, published in the specialist journal Plos Medicine.
To reach this conclusion, the French researchers worked from the national police database listing road accidents, and that of the reimbursement of health insurance. In total, more than 6,500 pedestrians were included in this study, conducted between July 2005 and December 2011.
48 drug classes put pedestrians at risk
Results ? Scientists have succeeded in isolating 48 classes of drugs that increase the risk of road accidents for a pedestrian. The most common were benzodiazepines (Valium, Tranxen, Xanax, Lexomil… They are used against sleep and mood disorders) anti-histamines (against allergies) and anti-inflammatories (cortisone, for example).
“These drugs can affect the attention level of pedestrians, for example by increasing their reaction time or reducing their mobility and/or walking speed. Thus, alpha-blockers lead to vasodilation and therefore lower blood pressure, with potential symptoms such as asthenia, dizziness, fatigue…”, note the authors of the study.
As a reminder, in 22% of cases, the victims of road accidents are pedestrians. Conclusion: be careful when crossing!
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