France: Drowsiness, fatigue leading cause of deaths on motorways

Drowsiness and fatigue were the cause of 33% of deaths on motorways in 2012, according to an Asfa (Association of French Motorway Companies) study. Alcohol, drugs and medications were in second place (21%), in front of excessive speed (13%). The study also revealed that lack of sleep, driving at night, taking certain medications and suffering from sleep apnoea or snoring increase the risk of deadly accidents on motorways. Some professionals say that monotony on roads and reduced speeds are also factors tha
August 6, 2013 Read time: 1 min
Increased enforcement can help reduce road crash rates
Drowsiness and fatigue were the cause of 33% of deaths on motorways in 2012, according to an 7440 ASFA (Association of French Motorway Companies) study.  Alcohol, drugs and medications were in second place (21%), in front of excessive speed (13%).

The study also revealed that lack of sleep, driving at night, taking certain medications and suffering from sleep apnoea or snoring increase the risk of deadly accidents on motorways. Some professionals say that monotony on roads and reduced speeds are also factors that reduce vigilance. The study’s author underlines that on the motorway network, where the average speed is 127km/h, there are less deaths than on other roads in France.
Highway & Network Management

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Call for Government action after first UK road casualty rise since 2003
    June 28, 2012
    Road Safety Foundation (RSF) director, Dr Joanne Marden, has urged the government to get road safety policies “back on track” after new official figures revealed the first annual UK road casualty increase for eight years. The figures, contained in a government report titled Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: 2011, show that the annual number of people killed in road accidents increased by 3% from 1,850 in 2010 to 1,901 in 2011 – the first increase since 2003 despite a levelling off of vehicle traff
    Read More
  • UN sets global target for road safety
    October 21, 2015
    The UN has set a global benchmark for reducing traffic fatalities on the world’s road network. Data shows that every year, almost 1.3 million people are killed in road crashes around the globe, according to information gathered by the World Health Organisation (WHO). In a bid to tackle this major problem, world leaders recently vowed to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2020. This target was agreed at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in New York.
    Read More
  • Brisbane's highway of distinction
    August 2, 2012
    A massive AU$2 billion update of the Gateway Motorway in Queensland is underway to improve an infrastructure stretched by population boom. Report and photographs by Adrian Greeman Just 20 years after the Australian city of Brisbane built its Gateway Motorway with a high slim signature bridge dominating the river skyline, the road is being completely revamped. Some 12km of urban route on the south of the Brisbane River is being expanded to take much increased traffic levels; the north is getting a completely
    Read More
  • Tunnel project of Chilean capital Santiago
    April 8, 2015
    Tunnel construction in Chilean capital Santiago will help cut chronic congestion – Mauro Nogarin & Mike Woof write. Chile’s capital Santiago is a thriving city having benefited from the country’s economy growing strongly in recent years. The massive copper mining sector has helped boost the country’s GDP significantly in the past few decades, also aided by the growing international reputation of Chile’s large wine industry. The steady economic growth has resulted in an equally steady growth in average incom
    Read More

Highlighted Content