At a time of great crossroads, the road prevention association reveals that more than half of the drivers have already had a health problem in the car, sometimes linked to taking medication.
Two in three motorists admit to having had a health problem while driving in the past two years, according to a BVA survey (1) produced for the Prévention routière association. More alarmingly, 20% of drivers say they have had or narrowly avoided an accident following the occurrence of this health problem.
Among the main disorders that appeared while driving, those questioned mentioned drowsiness (50%), difficulty concentrating (41%) or even vision problems (33%). A small number also mentioned altered appreciation of distances, palpitations or tremors and numbness.
Fatigue, stress and medication
For a large majority of respondents, these problems are mainly related to lack of sleep or fatigue. For more than half, stress is also involved. More worryingly, 16% of them associate these signs with an untreated health problem and 12% with taking a drug. In fact, nearly a quarter of them take medication regularly, including sleeping pills and tranquilizers.
Despite this, drivers are familiar with the pictograms of three different levels and colors and find them credible, enough to adapt their behavior to them. The survey also tells us that 7 out of 10 motorists have never spoken of the topic “health and driving” to their doctors. A discussion that half of the drivers would like to have.
In view of these results, the Prévention Routière association reiterates the importance of taking stock with a health professional on the prescribed drug treatments. “At the wheel also, good behavior is essential: stop at the slightest sign of fatigue or in case of stress, dizziness and repeated dizziness”, she insists, before adding that if the disorders persist , it is best to talk about it with your doctor or pharmacist.
(1) Online survey carried out by BVA from May 29 to June 8, 2015 with a representative sample of 1,000 motorists aged 18 and over
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