The year 2024 marks a turning point in safety on French motorways. According to the latest report from the French Association of Motorway Companies (Asfa), 129 people lost their lives on the concessionary network, a significant decrease of 53 deaths compared to 2023. This decline, while encouraging, should not mask the persistent warning signs regarding risky user behavior.
Among the victims were 7 truck drivers and 2 emergency personnel, figures that have declined significantly over the past decade. In 2015, 18 truck drivers were killed on motorways. This improvement can be attributed to better training, improvements in onboard safety equipment, and increased awareness among transport professionals. However, this decline could also reflect a shift in risk to secondary roads, which are increasingly used by French hauliers for economic reasons. However, these routes do not benefit from the same level of surveillance or secure infrastructure, and mortality data on these roads is still too incomplete.
The report also highlights a worrying trend: pedestrian deaths on motorways have tripled in ten years. In 2024, 12 people were killed while walking on the roads, often after getting out of their broken-down or damaged vehicle. More than a third of them were walking without a safety vest, despite prevention campaigns and regulatory requirements. This figure calls into question the effectiveness of awareness messages and the need to strengthen controls and penalties.
The causes of fatal accidents remain broadly unchanged, but their distribution reveals worrying trends. Alcohol, drugs, and certain medications are involved in 35% of cases, followed by excessive speed (20%), the presence of pedestrians (20%), drowsiness (19%), and inattention (14%), often linked to the use of telephones or on-board systems. Added to this is a notable increase in cases of wrong-way driving and reversing on expressways, now accounting for 10% of fatal accidents. These behaviors reflect a loss of bearings or a lack of knowledge of traffic rules, sometimes accentuated by fatigue or the language barrier among foreign drivers.
The latter, moreover, are more inclined to use the motorway network, as their employers can absorb toll costs thanks to lower wage costs. On the other hand, some large foreign groups do not hesitate to direct their drivers to national roads to reduce costs, at the expense of safety. This phenomenon, which is difficult to quantify, deserves special attention from the public authorities.
While the 2024 results are generally positive, they must not lead to complacency. The decline in the number of fatalities is encouraging, but it must be accompanied by increased vigilance regarding risky behavior, better pedestrian protection, and an in-depth analysis of accidents on secondary roads. Road safety is a constant challenge, where every step forward must be consolidated by concrete measures and strong political will.