Better to linger in the arms of Morpheus. Sleeping less than seven hours a night doubles the risk of a traffic accident. Fatigue is involved in one out of three cases.
- One out of three traffic accidents is related to falling asleep in France.
- The risk of drowsiness is particularly high between 2 and 5 a.m. and between 1 and 3 p.m.
- 10% of French people have already fallen asleep at the wheel.
- 17 hours of active wakefulness correspond to 0.5 grams of alcohol per liter of blood.
The French sleep little, and their conduct suffers from it. 10% of them have already fallen asleep at the wheel. Even simple drowsiness is dangerous, reminds the American Automobile Association (AAA) Traffic Safety Foundation. On December 6, it publishes an eloquent survey: sleeping less than seven hours a night doubles the risk of a traffic accident.
sleep like alcohol
7,200 drivers were interviewed by the Foundation. They were not chosen at random: these Americans were involved in 4,500 road accidents. Small sleepers are much more exposed to these road exits. It only takes one hour less to significantly increase the risk of collision. “You can’t shorten your nights and expect to retain the same abilities behind the wheel,” says Dr. David Yang, who conducted the interviews.
A major paradox emerges from the questionnaires. 97% of drivers say driving while drowsy is “unacceptable” and “dangerous”. The behaviors don’t match. A third of respondents have already taken a nose dive at the wheel. “A driver who has slept less than 5 hours is exposed to the same risk of accident as someone who has been drinking,” underlines David Yang. In fact, 17 hours of active wakefulness have the same impact on the body as 0.5 grams of alcohol in the blood.
Unnoticed symptoms
23% of French people sleep less than 6 hours a night. These numbers are cause for concern. The sleep quota is not reached and the consequences can be seen in the Road Safety statistics. One in three accidents is due to fatigue on national territory. Jake Nelson, director of road safety promotion and research, sees it as a symptom of modernity.
“Achieving a healthy work-life balance can be difficult,” he explains. Too often, we sacrifice our sleep to achieve this. The phenomenon is particularly marked among truck drivers. According to a study by the Vinci Autoroutes Foundation, a quarter of them sleep less than 6 hours a night.
Two time slots are particularly at risk of accidents for sleepers: between 2 and 5 am, and between 1 and 3 pm. Drowsiness is easy to recognize. Difficulty keeping your eyes open, staying in line, stiffness in the neck… But half of American drivers claim to have felt no symptoms before falling asleep.
Several reflexes make it possible to reduce the probability of falling asleep: driving during traditional waking hours, taking a break every two hours or even avoiding foods that are too rich.
.