Driving fatalities are on the decline. A total of 219 people died on the roads of mainland France in April 2023, a drop of 13% compared to the same month of the previous year (253 killed), Road Safety announced on Wednesday.
“We note in particular a drop in the number of cyclists killed (-10 killed), pedestrian killed (-7%) and killed on a motorized two-wheeler (-9%)”, detailed the National Interministerial Observatory of road safety (ONISR) in a press release.
ONISR also counts 1,204 serious injuries, down 1% compared to April 2022. In total, the number of injury accidents recorded by the police stood at 3,942 in April this year. .
Over the past three months, the number of people killed (860) fell by 10% and the number of seriously injured (4,217) fell by 5% compared to the same period a year earlier, specifies ONISR . Road Safety notes that “travel and accident rates have returned to a rate close to that before the pandemic or even higher, with sometimes changes linked to new habits”.
She also notes that cycling mortality is “far higher than that of 2019”, the last pre-pandemic year, with “225 cyclists who died in the last 12 months, i.e. +20% compared to 2019”. “The mortality in EDPm (motorized personal transport devices, such as scooters) has increased sharply over the past 12 months. Thirty people have died in the past year, ”also adds Road Safety.
Differences between regions
According to an Ipsos survey conducted for the Vinci Autoroutes Foundation, as part of its traditional barometer of responsible driving, revealed by Le Parisien, there are differences in driving behavior according to French regions. In Île-de-France, where we spend the most time in traffic jams, this is where we report the most incivility at the wheel: 2.5 incivil behavior out of 5, ahead of Provence-Alpes -French Riviera (2.2). Across the country, the average is 2.1.
These differences between regions are justified in particular by the time spent driving. “This can be explained by the differences in traffic, with practices that we may do more often because we stay in the car longer” analyzes Bernadette Moreau, general delegate of the Foundation.
The study also points to dangerous behaviors adopted by young people. 78% of them call while driving. Others say they have already driven under the influence of alcohol (20%) or (19%).