Correct question: The holiday route does not differ only according to traffic jams. If the departure time is poorly taken into account, it leads to a decrease in vigilance at the wheel. We count with three specialists.
Fuel up, luggage in the trunk, seat belts on… Before you hit the highway for vacation, here are a few safety tips. We often forget this, but choosing a departure time is important, and not just to avoid traffic jams. Depending on the profiles, leaving too early or too late risks reducing alertness and thus causing accidents. How do we know which schedule is best for us? Three health professionals help us see things more clearly.
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Drive in the morning after a good night’s sleep
The day before departure, it is difficult to fall into the arms of Morpheus, because the excitement is at its peak. That alone is a problem, according to Dr. Marie-Françoise Vecchierini, a sleep physician at the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital in Paris. “You need to make sure you get a good night’s sleep before a car trip,” she advises. According to the Association of Motor Vehicle Societies (AFSA) in France, drowsiness is responsible for a third of fatal driving accidents. In fact, according to the French Institute of Transport Science and Technology (IFSTAR), 4 seconds of sleep corresponds to 150 meters traveled if you drive at 130 km/h.
So many reasons to create favorable conditions for at least an eight-hour night. avoid drunken evenings the night before, sleep peacefully, meditate… If this is done, after waking up the next morning, we will be fresh enough and mentally ready to hit the road. “In this configuration, it’s the best time of day to do it,” says Dr. Yves-Victor Camami, an otolaryngologist and sleep doctor in Paris (1).
However, the expert agrees that no one is equal when it comes to sleepiness. “There are big sleepers who need at least ten hours of sleep and little ones who are content with six hours,” she explains. Some are even more prone to falling asleep at the wheel. This is when people suffer from sleep apnea without knowing it. “Before choosing a time, you should listen to yourself, advises Dr. Marie-Françoise Vechierini. Among the signs that can warn us are “near misses”, such as frequently ending up on the side of the road or driving very jerkily.
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Avoid sleepy peaks
Sometimes the letdown comes when you least expect it. As Dr. Yves-Victor Caamy reports, most scientific research on the topic emphasizes two peaks of sleepiness, the first at 2 a.m. and the second at 2 p.m. They are called the doors of sleep, and according to the two doctors interviewed, they are difficult to bypass. “Science still can’t explain why, but during this period the brain will produce more melatonin (sleep hormone, editor’s note)– says the somnologist.
Long distance travel with delicious meals
To cover the miles leading up to the holidays and avoid accidents, it has long been believed that a rich and filling meal can provide the necessary strength for the effort. A study by the Association for the Prevention of Insurer Attitudes, published on July 11, 2019, challenges this received notion. After assessing the drivers’ level of alertness and concentration during a simulator braking test, the scientists concluded that a high-calorie meal of 1,531 calories impaired braking time and reduced alertness in 60% of drivers.
This feeling of heaviness and sleepiness is called a postprandial alkaline wave. This usually happens 40 minutes after eating. “This is when all the body’s energy is working to push the bolus of food forward into the digestive tract, to the detriment of the brain,” explains Dr. Frederick Saldman, who led the study. That’s why the doctor advises not to jump in your car as soon as the fork rests, morning, noon and night.
Go at your leisure
And the plate isn’t the only one responsible, the burn is either. “If you go on a long trip after work, you accumulate waiting time that is too long. Because sleep needs to be regulated, sleep will be felt more quickly,” warns Dr. Marie-Françoise Vechierini, a sleep doctor. If it is impossible to postpone the trip to the next day, the final solution, strongly recommended by three health professionals, remains a 20-minute nap. “We need to separate the periods of rest and driving in order to delay sleep,” concludes the specialist.
(1) Dr. Yves-Victor Kamami is the author Better sleep with the Zen minute and other methods, Ed. Dolphin, €15.20.
Source: Le Figaro
