Three quarters of motorists (76 %) admit that they have already rolled more than two hours without breaking and almost one in five (19 %) more than five hours in a row.
Some (40%) even say they prefer to eat while driving rather than stopping, according to the results of a recent survey of the Walloon Road Safety Agency (AWSR) which launches a new awareness campaign on social networks on Thursday on vacation departures.
The absence of a break is not without consequences, however, underlines the AWSR. Half of the drivers interviewed (51 %) recognize having already felt sleepy along the way. A break of at least 15 minutes every 2 hours is therefore recommended to recover, advocates the agency. Sleeping a few hours in your car on a rest area is also a possibility in the event of too large fatigue.
More than half of the drivers (57 %) also recognize the speed limitations during their journey. If there is no shortage of reasons to explain the desire to press the fungus, an excessive or unsuitable speed is the cause of a fatal accident in three, recalls the AWSR.
The phone too used despite the ban
Another teaching of this soding, more than two out of five drivers (42 %) admit that they have already been distracted by their passengers, whether adults or children, during these prolonged trips. The use of the telephone is also quite frequent (19 %) despite the ban in Belgium and in most neighboring countries.
Near one in four Walloon drivers also sometimes indicates to “slashs”. If it is not explicitly prohibited by the Highway Code, it requires always remaining master of its vehicle, recalls the AWSR which therefore recommends that you always carry an outfit adapted to driving.
Finally, control of pressure and wear of tires, oil level and lights are all elements to keep in memory. Almost one in ten drivers (8 %) said it has already been involved in a road accident during this type of journey, and more than one in five (22 %) has already experienced a failure or a technical problem.