Road deaths in France fell sharply in 2018. It dropped by 5.3%, which corresponds to 196 fewer road deaths than in 2017.
It’s a record year. In 2018, road deaths is down by 5.3% , after two years of increase. It is the lowest death toll ever recorded in France, with still 3,248 people who lost their lives in a road accident in metropolitan France.
A drop that translates into 196 deaths less than in 2017, according to the results of the National Interministerial Observatory of Road Safety (ONISR), presented Tuesday, May 28, 2019.
It should be noted that personal injuries are also down, by 4.9%, (- 2,847), as well as injured people by – 4,8% (- 3,497).
L’année 2018 enregistre le chiffre de la mortalité le plus bas de toute l’histoire des statistiques de la #sécuritéroutière, après quatre années de hausse et de stagnation de la mortalité routière en France
— Sécurité routière (@RoutePlusSure) 29 May 2019
Road traffic up
Figures that are part of a context of “increased road traffic, about + 7% between 2013 (previous year the lowest) and 2017 (the traffic figures for 2018 will be known in the summer), says Road Safety .
In detail, this drop affects all users except moped and cyclists.
For motorists , the amount of road deaths is down 7%, with 1,637 deaths against 1,767 in 2017. This decline affects all age groups but especially 18-24 years. Motor vehicle mortality still accounts for 50% of total road fatalities.
Among motorcyclists, the amount of road deaths is also falling: 627 people died in 2018, that is – 6% and – 42 killed compared to the year 2017. This decrease recorded among young people aged 18-24 (92 killed in 2018 or – 38 killed compared to 2017) and 45-54 years (110 killed in 2018 or -15 killed compared to 2017), while the mortality of 55-59 years increases (84 killed in 2018 or + 6 killed compared to 2017 ).
As for pedestrians , there are 471 deaths in 2018, 13 fewer than in 2017 (-3%). Half of the pedestrians killed are 65 or older, and the decrease is mostly in the 25-44 age group.
For cyclists , 175 people were killed, figures that concern users aged 0 to 17 (+ 8 killed) and those aged 45 to 64 (+ 3 killed).
The moped rider has seen an increase in the amount of road deaths, which is up in 2018 to 133 killed against 117 in 2017 or 16 more killed compared to 2017 (+ 14%). The increase is for young people aged 18 to 24.
44 truck drivers died, 7 fewer killed than in 2017.
18-24 year olds and 75 and over particularly affected
The ONISR report shows that 18-24 year olds (97 killed per million inhabitants) and 75 years old and over (85 killed per million inhabitants), then 25-34 year olds (66 killed per million inhabitants), remain the most affected populations, even though road deaths in these age groups have decreased.
- 18-24 years: – 10% compared to 2017
- 65 years or over: 3%, 27 lives saved compared to 2017.
Road safety specifies:
“Of the 510 road deaths of people aged 75 and over, 288 were motorists, 4 fewer than in 2017 and 167 were pedestrians, 5 fewer than in 2017.”
Speed, the leading cause of mortality
First cause of death on the roads of France pointed out in the report: the speed, which intervenes in a fatal accident out of three. Road Safety details:
“Analysis of data on alleged perpetrators of road traffic fatalities in 2018 (APAM) shows that the speed factor is the leading cause of fatal accidents for 41% of suspected perpetrators aged 18 to 24, and 36% between 25 and 34 years old.”
Then comes alcohol abuse and narcotic driving, followed by refusal of priority and carelessness while driving.
The change to 80 km/h beneficial?
According to Road Safety, the decrease to 80 km/ha had beneficial effects on mortality:
“Compared to the last five years, 127 lives were saved in the second half of 2018 on the roads outside the city, mostly affected by the reduction to 80 km/h of the maximum speed allowed.”
The report states, however, that this significant decline experienced a “dropout in November and December 2018”, a period that corresponds to “the sharp deterioration of automatic speed radar devices”.
Retrouvez le bilan définitif de l’accidentalité routière 2018 ➡️ https://t.co/Hu9zFVmSek pic.twitter.com/wikgQ7WWdq
— Sécurité routière (@RoutePlusSure) 29 May 2019
