As vacation departures approach and summer weekends have begun, seat belts are essential.
- The risk of having an accident is 8 times greater when you are drowsy according to road safety.
- The faster you drive, the more the brain has to process a large amount of information in a minimum of time, which induces additional fatigue.
In a few weeks, many French people will take to the road to go on summer vacation… But the excitement should not overshadow the rules of good conduct. Here are some tips before getting behind the wheel.
Every year, at the beginning of the long summer holidays, we hear the same signal “red in the direction of departures according to bison futé”! This alert means that the traffic is dense, in other words that there are a lot of people on the road… Very often, a large part of France is concerned. And who says a lot of cars, also says greater risk of having an accident.
580 dead on the roads during the summer of 2021
Last summer, there were 313 and 267 deaths in July and August on the roads of mainland France, compared to 293 and 242 respectively in 2020according to the barometers of July and august of the Interministerial Road Safety Observatory. In all, there were therefore 580 deaths on French roads last summer.
Mortality on the roads is always very high in France during the summer holidays. Before getting behind the wheel, it is therefore essential to respect certain safety rules. The first – and the most basic – is that all passengers fasten their seat belts. On this one, except the driver’s belt, there is a small buckle that you may never have noticed… It’s not there for a cosmetic reason but to prevent the seat belt from tearing in case very strong shock.
An extra car seat for children
For the youngest, the belt is not suitable for their small sizes. Before 10 years, it is therefore obligatory that they travel in a car seat. But not just any: it must be adapted to the age, weight and morphology of the child. Several models are available according to these criteria and, when you buy it, it is imperative to check that it has a approval visa certifying that it meets European standards.
Read the medication leaflet carefully and do not consume alcohol
As far as driving is concerned, hitting the road in complete safety requires being in good shape, not being deprived of sleep and reading the instructions for your medication carefully… If some have the side effect of drowsiness, leave the steering wheel to another family member or postpone your departure. Another piece of advice: do not drink more than one glass of alcohol. Currently, the law prohibited from driving with a blood alcohol level greater than or equal to 0.5 grams per liter of blood (i.e. 0.25 mg of alcohol per liter of exhaled air).
Last piece of advice: no matter how long the journey, you have to take breaks on the road every two hours to limit the risk of an accident depending on the road safety.