Roads: alcohol and drugs involved in numerous accidents

Fatal accidents on motorways remained high in 2023, with the majority of deaths occurring among young, heavily intoxicated or drugged drivers, according to industry data released on Wednesday 31 July.

The number of accidents has decreased slightly while traffic has increased: 163 fatal accidents occurred in 2023, compared to 167 in 2022, and 181 people died, compared to 188 in 2022, the Association of French Road Companies (Asfa) reported, in the middle of the summer holidays. After less deadly years during the pandemic, statistics observed on motorways “confirm a change in the level of safety” in the medium term, Asfa indicates.

The association’s general delegate, Christophe Boutin, also regrets that the factors for accidents that have increased this year are all “behavioural factors, where the risk is borne by the driver”. People under 34 are twice as likely to suffer a fatal accident. And men are also more represented in these fatal accidents, he stresses.

The leading cause of fatal accidents (31%), and the one that increases the most in a year, is the consumption of alcohol above the legal limits, but also, to a lesser extent, drugs and medication.

Four out of 10 drivers responsible for these accidents related to the use of these substances are under 35 years old, and these incidents occur more at night and on weekends. One in two drunk drivers has an elevated blood alcohol level, greater than or equal to 1.2 g/l of blood (the legal limit is 0.5 g/l of blood).

Speeding

The second most common factor, speeding (19% of cases), most frequently refers to accidents that occur at night.

The number of fatal accidents involving pedestrians also remains high (18%), whether pedestrians exiting a broken down or disabled vehicle or pedestrians crossing a lane.

Dangerous manoeuvres (overtaking on the right, failure to respect the safety distance) account for 17% of fatal accidents, compared to 10% in 2021.

Lack of attention, for example related to telephone use, remains stable (15%), while the percentage of accidents related to drowsiness is decreasing (13%).

“This is explained by the fact that users are taking a little more breaks than before,” stresses Christophe Boutin.

As for road workers, a patrolman was killed in November 2023 on the Grand Canal viaduct in Le Havre (Seine-Maritime). On March 3, a road patrolman was also killed by a car on the Côte d’Azur.