2023-08-02 14:41:31
Even if the motorway network remains five times safer than the road network, fatal accidents are not lacking. The Association of French Motorway Companies (Asfa) counts for 2022, in a report published this Wednesday, 188 dead motorists, or 57 more than in 2021. “This is a particularly striking result because the increase in deaths is not correlated with increased traffic. In 2022, it is 7% more traffic compared to 2021, and the number of fatalities has increased by 40%”, underlined on franceinfo Christophe Boutin, general delegate of Asfa, who also points to “a worrying development individual behaviors.
The leading cause of fatal accidents is not changing: 23% are linked to the “Alcohol, drugs and medication” factor. Drivers under the age of 35 are over-represented there with almost one in two drivers dead under the influence of narcotics, while Friday and Saturday evenings are the deadliest.
Sharp decline over 20 years
The “drowsiness and fatigue” factor comes in second place (18%). No less than 31% of fatal accidents occur at night, for traffic of 9%. In addition, the “inattention” factor, fueled by the growing use of smartphones and GPS, is progressing (16%), particularly among those under 35 years old. “Inattention at the wheel is likely to increase in the coming years, with the proliferation of on-board equipment and the services they offer”, notes Asfa.
Despite everything, this strong increase is to be balanced, it follows a period of health crisis, where road accidents fell sharply from 2020. On a larger scale, the observation is different: in 20 years the number fatal accidents on motorways has been halved, from 328 in 2002 to 188 in 2022. The continuous decline in alcohol consumption since 1960, and efforts in terms of prevention have had some effects.
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