According to figures from the accident database compiled by the National Interministerial Body for Road Safety (ONISR), 305 people lost their lives on the roads of Metropolitan France in July 2023. This is therefore 10% less than the 338 in July 2022. On the injured side, the drop is 7% to 1,558 people, in 4,396 injury accidents, down 8% compared to July 2022.
Since the beginning of 2023, 1,682 people have been killed compared to 1,874 in the first seven months of 2022. 8,945 injured, compared to 9,395 in 2022, were affected in one of the 28,844 bodily accidents (compared to 30,853 in 2022 ). With the decline month after month, the fatalities over the last 12 months are 3,075. The last 12 months are even down compared to 2019, the last pre-Covid year. Good news.
In detail, some categories are the “good students” such as pedestrians or cyclists down 12 and 13% respectively. Motorists see the number of fatalities down by 4% if we compare the last 12 months to the previous ones, and 7% compared to 2019. On the other hand, the number of cyclists killed is up by 12% compared to 2019 and the new category of “EDPm” (motorized personal transport vehicles) continues its continuous rise. However, the figures are low with 41 killed over the past year.
It’s even worse on the injured side. The EDPm saw their injuries increase by 19% compared to the previous 12 months. The increase for cyclists is 9%. The other categories remain down. To read the full report, click here.
Our opinion, by leblogauto.com
It is never easy to decipher the figures of the SR. We can identify major trends with certain phenomena such as EDPm and the practice of cycling (vélotaf) since the Covid. But to explain exactly why there is a continuous decline and figures that go below those of 2019 is to play Madame Irma. At most, we can praise the renewal of the fleet which, little by little, puts vehicles covered with electronic crutches on the road.
Moreover, Europe will impose in 2024 (and for newly approved vehicles in 2022) additional safety equipment (keeping in line, fatigue detection, emergency braking, etc.). Time will do its work here. On the other hand, will no longer penalizing the loss of one point for “small” speeding offenses have an influence as some people think/fear? Answer within a few months. Road Safety is an empirical practice.
