Phones, drugs, alcohol: Why France has seen a record rise in motorway deaths
France saw a record rise in the number of deaths on the country's motorways in 2022 with drugs and alcohol the main causes, figures show.
A total 188 people were killed in traffic incidents on French autoroutes (freeways) last year, up from 131 the previous year - an increase of 43 percent.
Of the 1,654 recorded traffic incidents on motorways in 2022 that caused personal injuries, 167 of those crashes led to fatalities. Those figures are up on 2021, when 1,520 personal injury traffic incidents were recorded, with 119 incidents leading to fatalities.
Nearly half of all drivers involved in fatal accidents were under 35.
Four motorway company workers were killed in incidents in 2022, and staff were involved in 169 incidents - one every two days, on average.
The numbers in the annual report from the Association des sociétés françaises d’autoroutes (Asfa) - published days after three people were killed and 10 others, including children, injured in a crash involving a British vehicle on a motorway in northern France - make for grim reading. But the reasons for many of the accidents are avoidable.
“The alcohol, drugs, medication factor is rising sharply, (…) some users are openly taking more risks. That makes more victims. These are unacceptable behaviours,” Asfa’s Christophe Boutin said at the annual accident report’s release.
READ ALSO Who to call and what to say in a driving emergency in France
Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs was a factor in more than a quarter (26.3 percent) of fatal accidents in 2022. The average alcohol level of drivers involved was 1.4g/l of blood. The legal limit for most drivers in France is 0.5g/l.
Collisions involving pedestrians doubled to account for 22.2 percent of fatal incidents in 2022, compared to 11.8 percent in 2021. Most of those on foot were involved in incidents after getting out of a broken down vehicle.
Excess speed was a factor in around 18 percent of incidents in 2021 and 2022, while driver inattention - in particular using smartphones while driving - was blamed for 28 fatal accidents in 2022, compared to 15 in 2021.
READ ALSO What to do if you are hit by an uninsured driver in France?
Boutin said: “With the growing sophistication of equipment, we will have more and more people who consult their telephones instead of looking at the road.”
The Afsa report, however, noted that French motorways are the safest routes in France. Last year, travellers clocked about 100billion kilometres on the country’s 9,180kms of tolled motorways.
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A total 188 people were killed in traffic incidents on French autoroutes (freeways) last year, up from 131 the previous year - an increase of 43 percent.
Of the 1,654 recorded traffic incidents on motorways in 2022 that caused personal injuries, 167 of those crashes led to fatalities. Those figures are up on 2021, when 1,520 personal injury traffic incidents were recorded, with 119 incidents leading to fatalities.
Nearly half of all drivers involved in fatal accidents were under 35.
Four motorway company workers were killed in incidents in 2022, and staff were involved in 169 incidents - one every two days, on average.
The numbers in the annual report from the Association des sociétés françaises d’autoroutes (Asfa) - published days after three people were killed and 10 others, including children, injured in a crash involving a British vehicle on a motorway in northern France - make for grim reading. But the reasons for many of the accidents are avoidable.
“The alcohol, drugs, medication factor is rising sharply, (…) some users are openly taking more risks. That makes more victims. These are unacceptable behaviours,” Asfa’s Christophe Boutin said at the annual accident report’s release.
READ ALSO Who to call and what to say in a driving emergency in France
Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs was a factor in more than a quarter (26.3 percent) of fatal accidents in 2022. The average alcohol level of drivers involved was 1.4g/l of blood. The legal limit for most drivers in France is 0.5g/l.
Collisions involving pedestrians doubled to account for 22.2 percent of fatal incidents in 2022, compared to 11.8 percent in 2021. Most of those on foot were involved in incidents after getting out of a broken down vehicle.
Excess speed was a factor in around 18 percent of incidents in 2021 and 2022, while driver inattention - in particular using smartphones while driving - was blamed for 28 fatal accidents in 2022, compared to 15 in 2021.
READ ALSO What to do if you are hit by an uninsured driver in France?
Boutin said: “With the growing sophistication of equipment, we will have more and more people who consult their telephones instead of looking at the road.”
The Afsa report, however, noted that French motorways are the safest routes in France. Last year, travellers clocked about 100billion kilometres on the country’s 9,180kms of tolled motorways.
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