The long-awaited summer vacation weekend has finally arrived. After a first small wave of departures recorded last week, this weekend of July 8 and 9 will be busier on the roads, according to Bison Futé. The start of the school holidays, on the evening of the 7th, largely explains this. Because, many families are impatient to go and relax on the beaches of the coast from the start of summer.

It is Saturday that will mark the start of hostilities. Bison Futé is planning red throughout the North-East quarter of France, from Hauts-de-France, through Normandy, Brittany, the Center region and around Paris. Whatever your starting strategy. It is recommended to take the road in good conditions. It may seem obvious to some, but a good night’s sleep is essential before hitting the road.

A recent study by Assurance Prévention warns of the risk of lack of sleep before hitting the road for long journeys. According to it, a shortened night multiplies the risk of an accident by 6. The study reveals very telling figures: 24% of the subjects had an accident after a shortened night (3h53 of sleep on average compared to 7h17 for a normal night) and 67% of the accident subjects had previously suffered loss of vigilance (via test reaction). Getting enough sleep is therefore the guarantee of a safer journey.

Already on the road to vacation, a family has chosen to sacrifice their sleep to avoid traffic and arrive more quickly. She testifies in an article on the RMC site: “It’s true that we worked the day before so we had tried to prepare things a little, but of course we always sleep a little less well,” says Céline. , the mother of the family. “Generally, we always leave early to avoid traffic jams, so our sleep quota is already falling behind,” adds her husband Alexandre. A rather mixed strategy then…

Another recommendation, which, like a good night’s sleep, seems obvious at first sight. But essential to remember: the importance of not eating too much before taking the car. Didier Cugy, sleep specialist, interviewed by RMC, confirms this. Sleeping well is not enough, insists doctor Didier Cugy. “You should know that meals and food intake promote drowsiness. So if you want to stay awake, you have to eat light. Proteins, no slow sugar, water and no alcohol”, he develops. The combination of lack of sleep and overeating before driving is therefore largely inadvisable to start off on the right foot on vacation on the road.