The French tired by the health crisis: on the roads, the summer of all dangers

DECRYPTION

According to a study which has just been published by the insurer MMA, 43% of French people say they are more tired than last year.

A priori, nothing surprising after 18 months of the Covid-19 health crisis which, with their share of confinements and restrictions, put the nerves to the test.

Problem: with 90% of holidaymakers going to spend their holidays in France and two-thirds planning to take their car, summer could well be one of all the dangers on the roads of France.

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"There have never been so many complaints of sleep in France"

For drivers, the cocktail to avoid is that of fatigue and dangerous behavior (telephone while driving, exceeding speed limits, etc.). Redouble vigilance therefore seems necessary in a context of generalized sleep deprivation. Because the French are indeed in an unprecedented situation from this point of view. "This period of health crisis, there have never been so many complaints of sleep in France", notes Pierre Philip, sleep doctor at Bordeaux University Hospital, on Europe 1.

"We know that you have to sleep at least seven hours a night, seven days a week. However, there are 30% of French people who still only sleep six hours a night. In this context, what we have identified, sleep researchers, is that there was a real issue of chronic sleep debt, "continues the specialist.

"We have too many accidents, we still have too many deaths ... Drowsiness is the leading cause of death on the motorway, it is not normal in the 21st century. So we are really in a situation where we have to tell people 'protect yourself'. "

A few steps to avoid drowsiness

According to the study, 71% of drivers have already dozed off while driving. To avoid this dangerous situation, do not hesitate to postpone the day of departure of your trip, to rest well before taking the road or to pass the wheel in case of fatigue.