Road safety: mortality has fallen on the roads this summer!

In July and August 2023, mortality fell compared to last year’s figure on French roads. However, the report is concerned about the number of deaths on motorized two-wheelers.

591this is the number of deaths that there were on the different roads in France during the month of July and August 2023. In 2022, 50 people moreover died on the roads during this same period. This represents a reduction in mortality of 7.8% over two months.

In total, there was 305 people killed in Julyi.e. a decline of 10 % compared to the same month the previous year. As for the month in August, 286 people diedi.e. a decline of 6 % compare to August 2022.

More deaths overseas

If the trend is downward in mainland France, mortality has increased in the overseas territories with a increase of 6% recorded in the month of August 2023 compared to August 2022. As for bodily accidents, the observation is more alarming in the month of August with 270 accidentsi.e. an increase of 23 % compared to August 2022.

Concern about two wheels

The road safety report is concerned about “the high proportion of people killed in two wheels motorized”. An augmentation of 30 % cases have been recorded. Road safety is also concerned about the number of deaths on EDPm (motorized personal transport vehicles) which include scooters. During the months of July and August, 17 dead were recorded. Road safety recalls that over the entire year 2022, the results were 35 dead.

Florence Guillaume, interministerial delegate for road safety, declares that:

The summer report reminds these vulnerable users of the need to be vigilant and to be well equipped to be protected and visible.

Further in the report, Florence Guillaume recalls that with regard to electric scooters, the entry into force in September 1 regulatory measures have been taken to toughen sanctions for risky user behavior as well as raising the minimum age for driving an electric scooter. 12 to 14 years old.

The year 2023 less deadly than 2022 on the roads

Despite everything, the number of road deaths for the year 2023 is lower to the year 2022, according to the national interministerial road safety observatory.

Evolution of deaths recorded by law enforcement in mainland France in 2023. The year 2022 in black and the year 2023 in orange

Photo credit: National interministerial road safety observatory

As we can see in the table above, which highlights the evolution of the killed recorded by the police in mainland France, each month of the year, in 2023 the number of deaths is lower compare to the previous year.