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

  • Tougher sentencing required for serious driving offences
    July 13, 2012
    The average sentence for causing death by dangerous driving in the UK is just four years – 62 per cent shorter than for manslaughter, according to road safety charity the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists). While the average sentence length of manslaughter is 6.6 years, those sentenced to prison for causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving are given an average sentence of 1.3 years. Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs has an average sentence of 4.3 years
    Read More
  • Regular speeders crash more often
    November 3, 2016
    Research from a UK insurance company that provides vehicles with black box, telematics technology throws a light on what causes crashes. According to the firm, Insure The Box, its analysis of around 5 billion km of driving data provides a crucial insight. The telematics pioneer uses black box data to target regular speeding culprits and provides safer driving support. According to the firm’s data analysis, drivers who speed more than 20% of the time increase their risk of having an accident by 87%. Meanw
    Read More
  • Roadmarking requirements can boost highway safety for road users
    April 11, 2013
    Road markings are an essential component of a modern infrastructure and an essential contributor to driver comfort and road safety. The COST 331 study, which ran from 1996 to 1999, mainly focused on dry night conditions and indicated that the increased luminance of road markings, results in a better delineation of the road and offers more reaction time for drivers. On average a slight increase in speed was noted, but the increased visibility was mainly converted into more reaction time. IMPROVER, which ran
    Read More
  • French road fatalities increase
    February 21, 2012
    Concern has been raised in France over a worrying increase in road fatalities during January 2011, with the death rate on the countries roads reaching 320, according to early reports.
    Read More

Highlighted Content