The Vinci Autoroutes group and the European leader in Nextbase dashcams have each conducted a survey on the behavior of the French during this holiday season. More than a quarter of our compatriots would drive drunk on Christmas, and half of them report drowsiness at the wheel.
Who says end of the year, says New Years Eve and good dinners! During the holidays, the behavior of the French at the wheel is far from exemplary. Two studies carried out by the Vinci Autoroutes Foundation and Nextbase, a company specializing in dashcams, show that one in four drivers will drive under the influence of alcohol and that more than half have already experienced episodes of drowsiness at the wheel. Rather chilling conclusions …
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Alcohol in the viewfinder
![glass alcohol car keys](https://www.largus.fr/images/images/alcool-cles-voiture.jpg)
The end of the year celebrations are always marked by increased alcohol consumption. This is a fear among 66% of drivers, who fear to rub shoulders on the road drunk motorists. A concern justified by another striking fact. More than a quarter of French people (26%) would be likely to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol, according to the Nextbase study of 1,196 respondents. Regarding this practice, motorists in Occitanie are the worst performers (34%). Conversely, Britons present themselves as the most responsible drivers with 19% of drivers ready to drive under the influence of alcohol. Enough to twist the necks of certain prejudices… Finally, nothing to boast about for a long time! France is said to be one of the countries where drivers are most likely to get behind the wheel after drinking, ahead of the United States (24%), Germany (14%) and the United Kingdom (9%).
Before getting behind the wheel, test yourself! Municipalities in several regions are currently distributing breathalysers free of charge.
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Drowsiness to watch out for
![infographic drowsiness vinci highways](https://www.largus.fr/images/images/infographie-somnolence-vinci.jpg)
According to the Association of French Motorway Companies (ASFA), drowsiness is the leading cause of fatal accidents on motorways. A recent study carried out by the civil hospices of Lyon and the Lyon neuroscience research center confirms that the phenomenon is still as important: almost one in two drivers is drowsy on long journeys. No wonder when you see that more than a quarter of motorists slept only five hours or less the night before the trip. However, a poor quality of sleep is a guarantee
increased drowsiness and a 20-25% decrease in alertness. In addition to getting a good night’s sleep before hitting the road, it is essential to take regular breaks on your route or to change drivers. To do ” a 15 to 20 minute nap can restore a good level of arousal »Assures the Vinci Autoroutes Foundation, which commissioned the study.
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Be careful with the weather
In addition to alcohol consumption and fatigue, degraded weather conditions (fog, snow and ice) require extra vigilance while driving. ATmatch your speed to the conditions and be sure to ” see well and be seen “.