83% of French people feel more vulnerable on the road in the dark

2023-10-29 17:02:36

Nighttime does not give a strong feeling of safety on the roads. In France, the majority of users feel more worried with the transition to winter time, after which night sets earlier in the evening. Each year, a sharp increase in road accidents is recorded at the time of the time change (+42% deaths among pedestrians in 2022).

The Prevention Insurance association published this Wednesday the results of a survey on the subject, conducted at the end of September with more than 2,000 French people. It reveals that 83% of them (more than eight out of ten) are more worried on the road when visibility drops, regardless of their mode of travel.

⚠⌚This weekend is #changementdheure !
It will get dark earlier, so be visible:
➡ light clothing for pedestrians,
➡ retroreflective equipment and lighting #bike or #scooter,
➡ increased vigilance and headlights in good condition #2RM et #car !

— Assurance Prévention (@AssurancePrev) October 25, 2023

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Users worried about others

Some users feel more vulnerable than others, such as cyclists (89%), pedestrians (85%) and drivers of motorized personal transport vehicles (82%). This fear has also increased with the implementation of the energy sobriety plan in 2022, within the framework of which municipalities lower or turn off public lighting at night.

The French’s concern is justified: 18% of them have already had an accident due to lack of visibility and 35% have almost had one. Respondents are also worried about others: 73% of them fear for the safety of other users and nine out of ten parents are worried about that of their child.

Adopt good reflexes

Road users generally have the feeling that they are adopting the right reflexes to counter the lack of visibility, but the figures show the opposite. Only 75% of pedestrians systematically use sidewalks and 71% do not wear light-colored clothing to be clearly seen. Likewise, 67% of scooter drivers sometimes ride with headphones or earphones.

Finally, almost half of the cyclists surveyed (49%) do not systematically wear reflective accessories. Reason why Prevention Insurance named its awareness campaign launched this Wednesday “Be more visible”. The association will be present in eight cities on Saturday and Sunday to raise awareness among users and distribute reflective accessory kits.