The National Interministerial Observatory for Road Safety has published its final assessment for 2019. 3,498 people died in road accidents.
An increasing balance sheet. 3,498 people died on the roads of mainland France or Overseas, according to the annual figures of the National Interministerial Observatory of Road Safety, published on May 31, 2020. In total, these are ten more road deaths than the year previous one, in 2018.
In mainland France alone, 3,244 people lost their lives in an accident, 4 fewer than in 2018. We take stock of the main points to remember.
Read also: Road deaths dropped in March, due to confinement
A quarter of young people, a quarter of seniors
In detail, 66 children aged 14 and under died, 87 adolescents aged 15 to 17, 549 young people aged 18 to 24, and 849 seniors aged 65 and over.
In mainland France, children and young adults aged 24 and under now represent just under a quarter (22%) of road deaths. Mortality among young people aged 18-24 is up 9% in 2019 (+46 killed, for a total of 549 young people killed).
The mortality of people over 65 represents a little over a quarter of road mortality (26%) . It thus increased by 1% in 2019 (849 deaths, i.e. +7 in one year).
Regarding the profile of the deceased, there are 483 pedestrians, 187 cyclists and 615 motorcyclists.
Fewer fatalities on highways
If we look more closely at road network mortality, we see that it is falling on motorways (-2% compared to 2018). Since 2000, mortality has dropped by -55% on this network.
In urban areas, mortality increased by + 8% in one year, or 74 more killed in 2019 compared to 2018. This increase is mainly due to bikers (+ 27 killed including 20 among 18-24-year-olds) and pedestrians (+22 killed, including 14 among seniors aged 75 and over). Since 2000, however, mortality has dropped by more than half (-54%).
Finally, outside the metropolitan area, mortality fell by 72 killed in 2019 compared to 2018 (-4%). Since 2000, mortality has decreased by -63% on this network.
Speed among young people, refusal of priority for seniors
Analysis of behavioural factors confirms the role of excessive or unsuitable speed as the primary cause of fatal accidents, alcohol being still very present.
The report states:
While the speed factor is highest in young people accused
of fatal accidents (44% of 18-24 year olds), the alcohol and narcotic factors seem to reach their maximum a little later in age (26% and 13% respectively in 25-44 years).
Inattention and difficulties in respecting priorities are more marked in older people (respectively 15% and 18% of those aged 75 and over).
Mortality on the rise in six regions
Compared to 2018, the amount of road deaths is increasing in six regions with a sharp increase in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (+ 16.8%), followed by Occitanie (+ 6.6%), Hauts-de-France (+ 4.9%), Corsica (+ 3.4%), Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (+ 1.7%) and Normandy (+ 1.2%).
Conversely, seven metropolitan regions show a stable or declining balance sheet . The biggest drop in mortality comes from Île-de-France (with -13.3%), followed by Center-Val-de-Loire (-9.9%), Grand Est (-6, 4%), New Aquitaine (-5.7%), Brittany (-4.5%) and Pays de la Loire (-2.5%).
Over 56,000 personal accidents
Finally, still in 2019, there were 56,016 personal traffic accidents in mainland France (+488 compared to 2018).
The number of injured increased from 73,253 in 2018 to 74,165 in 2019.
