Road fatalities virtually unchanged in 2016

Road fatalities rose in 2014, 2015 and stabilised in 2016. According to the final figures for 2016 published by the ONISR (French inter-ministerial road safety observatory), 3477 people died as a result of a road accident in France, that is 16 more than the previous year. A slight increase also in the number of road injuries by 2.6% to 72,645, and casualties up by 1.6%to 57,522, of whom 27,187 had to be hospitalised, an increase of 2.2%, many of whom will be left with serious aftereffects.

Additionally, accident rates have also worsened especially among pedestrians (559 deaths in 2016, an increase of 19% compared with 2015), but also cyclists (162 deaths, up 9%); 35% of these road users die as a result of an accident without involving any collision with a third-party. The number of moped rider fatalities is down by a sharp 22%, while that of motorbike riders has remained steady (one fatality less than in 2015). Motorbike and moped riders still account for less than 2% of traffic (1.9%) but 43% of serious injuries and 21% of fatalities. The number of road fatalities of 15 to 17-year-olds is down sharply by 23.2%, as a result, according to the ONISR, of this cohort abandoning mopeds and motorcycles in favour of public transport. Three out of four killed or seriously wounded in a road accident are men. A total of 270 lost their lives in a motorway accident, which is 8% of the total. Finally, speeding or inappropriate speed remains the number one cause of road fatalities in France and is at cause in one out of every three fatalities.

In 2016, and even though it has more or less stabilised, road fatalities are again up for the third year in a row, for the first time since 1972. That is why, on the eve of the summer holidays, the French Road Safety Authority is “calling on road users to be more responsible and more careful, and police will be paying particular attention on our roads to protect users and impose fines for inappropriate behaviour”. Because “on the road, sticking to the rules saves lives”.

More information:

• Sécurité routière – Bilan définitif de l’accidentalité routière en 2016 (French road safety authority - Final results of road accident rates in 2016) (in French only)
• Le Monde – Sécurité routière: le nombre de morts se stabilise en 2016 (Road safety: the number of fatalities unchanged in 2016) (in French only)