VI Work Road Safety Week: the risks of consuming alcohol and drugs, the focus of the day in Oviedo

Fraternidad-Muprespa, the Asturian Institute for Occupational Risk Prevention, Proyecto Hombre C.E.S.P.A and Driven You organized, on the occasion of the celebration of the VI Road Safety Week of the Mutua, a day held last Thursday the 16th at the Institute's headquarters, under the title "Traffic Accidents at Work: addictions versus safe driving Are we aware of our behavior behind the wheel?".

This day, within the week organized by the Mutua between November 13 and 21, around the World Day of Traffic Accident Victims, was attended by mutual companies such as Aguas de Avilés, Asturagua, Taresco, Eumédica Pharmaceuticals, New Constructions, Algama, Spanish Red Cross, Kaefer, Lextransport or Ocio Oviedo.

Iván Fernández, prevention consultant at Fraternidad-Muprespa, recalled that in Spain last year there were 1,214 fatalities in traffic accidents and 14% of them had consumed psychotropic drugs. He also explained that “driving while deprived of sleep or under the influence of alcohol multiplies the probability of suffering an accident by four, but if both factors are present, the probability is multiplied by 30.

Humberto Sáez, section head of the training area of the Asturian Institute for Occupational Risk Prevention, described the Asturian Road Safety Seal, one of the pioneers in Spain and carried out a practice with the participants with glasses that simulate fatigue, having drunk alcohol or taken drugs. Attendees were able to experience how in these conditions they lose the ability to complete a circuit drawn on the ground.

Orlando Menéndez, deputy director of the Occupational Risk Area of Proyecto Hombre Asturias, C.E.S.P.A. Foundation, then intervened to emphasize the effects of alcohol, cannabis or cocaine, among other harmful substances, on driving, describing how they affect the user's behavior, which ranges from drowsiness to aggressiveness behind the wheel. “These are substances that are present in up to 50% of traffic accident victims in our country,” he highlighted.

Chema Menéndez, co-founder and director of operations of DrivenYou Formación, also shared a practice in a simulator and focused on how to apply technology to raise awareness among drivers. Attendees were able to internalize, thanks to a hyper-realistic simulator, how a large truck “drives”.

Mayte Belver, provincial director of population.

In the Principality of Asturias, based on the accident data of the mutual companies of