Driver fatigue soon detected in their saliva?

It's the beginning of summer vacation, and more than one will be tempted to get behind the wheel after a night too short to save time. It is this observation that motivated researchers from the Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL) and the VINCI Foundation to conduct a study on several motorway areas. With the help of cotton swabs, researchers at the HCL have measured the levels of cortisol and α-amylase in drivers who have stopped, sensors whose presence indicates the state of fatigue.

The sensors are present at lower levels in the morning after sleep deprivation

Thirty researchers settled in the areas of Saint-Rambert-d'Albon (Drôme) and Montélimar (Drôme) on the weekend of 29 June. The goal: collect at least 400 cotton swabs. The time of year is not chosen at random. Before the summer holidays, many people are in a state of advanced fatigue, without necessarily realizing it.

A previous study conducted by the VINCI Foundation and the Hôtel-Dieu Sleep Center (CSHD) published in December revealed that cortisol and α-amylase are present at lower levels in the morning (-37% for cortisol) and in the afternoon (-15% for α). -amylase) after sleep deprivation. The study looked at young, healthy people who had only slept three hours a night. After two consecutive nights, the researchers had collected saliva samples, which they then badyzed at regular intervals. People suffering from sleep deprivation presented " a decrease in the feeling of calm and an increase in levels of tension ". Their tiredness was tripled, their aggression by two, and their situation of confusion by two.

Between 1996 and 2011, the French lost an hour of sleep a day

The risks of sleepiness and inattention at the wheel account for almost half of the fatal accidents on the highway. Also, to avoid the feeling of stress related to lack of sleep and limit the risk of accidents, it is advisable to do a full night the day before departure, to leave during the day, to take breaks every two hours during the trip, to stop at the first signs of fatigue, and to change the driver if possible.

These tips are still poorly known, and the effects of driving fatigue are often underestimated. An alarming situation, when we know that between 1996 and 2011, the French lost an hour of sleep a day, according to a study funded by the Vinci Autoroutes Foundation. The working days were lengthened, and the screens were invited in the bedroom. " Marketing a saliva test would allow drivers to realize their level of fatigue and postpone their journeys, which would reduce the number of accidents ", said Bernadette Moreau, General Delegate of Vinci Autoroutes, in last december.