Death toll on French roads

[Pierre ZFP]

Read in the paper today that there were an astonishing 4615 deaths on French roads in 2007 and 104 601 injured in a total of  81 378(reported) accidents.  This is an increase of around 2% on 2006.  I don't know what the numbers are for the UK or other EU countries but it seems very high to me.  It would seem that the extra speed checks and cameras are having little effect.  I wonder if we will see lots more of them in France in an attempt to curb the carnage rather than trying to address the fundementals of why it's happening - or am I begining to sound like JC?

link repaired by a mod

[Clair]

This page shows a table of the number of road accidents/deaths/injuries in France since 1975.

This page shows a table based on 2004(?) figures for industrialised countries.

[Sunday Driver]

Pierre

According to your link, figures for 2007 road deaths represent a 2% decrease over 2006....

The reports in Clair's link do not mention speed as being a contributory factor, so the impact of speed check enforcement can't really be commented on.  However, given that the majority of accidents occurred on wet roads, it's reasonable to assume that excessive speed for the conditions may have been such a factor.

 

[Pierre ZFP]

Quite correct, my mistake, fewer deaths but more accidents.  Maybe cars are getting safer what with air bags and all.

[Ford Anglia]

[quote user="Sunday Driver"]

  However, given that the majority of accidents occurred on wet roads, it's reasonable to assume that excessive speed for the conditions may have been such a factor.

 

[/quote]

Why? Why couldn't it have been poor visibility? Or poorly drained road surfaces? Or drivers who were distracted by the rain, spray, wipers etc? Or people using rear foglamps so blinding others in wet conditions?

I can only agree with your statement if you remove the word "excessive", or if you mean that they shouldn't have been moving AT ALL.

FA

[Anton Redman]

Without comparisons of population of vechile miles the statistcs do not mean a great deal. Also in for instance the Home Counties in the UK the traffic is so heavy that it pretty rare to be going quickly enough to have a serious accident.

[Tresco]

[quote user="Ford Anglia"]Why? Why couldn't it have been poor visibility? Or poorly drained road surfaces? Or drivers who were distracted by the rain, spray, wipers etc? Or people using rear foglamps so blinding others in wet conditions?

I can only agree with your statement if you remove the word "excessive", or if you mean that they shouldn't have been moving AT ALL.

FA[/quote] (my bold)

I suspect those are some of the 'conditions' SD was referring to.

For example, if someone is blinding me with their fog lights, I slow down and let them get far, far away from me, rather than put myself in danger by maintaining the same speed while being dazzled.

[Cat]

There's a chart that shows road fatalities per million population in Europe, here http://ec.europa.eu/transport/roadsafety_library/care/doc/gis_eu25.pdf

Or this one shows fatalities broken down by country and road type (motorway, urban, non-urban) http://ec.europa.eu/transport/roadsafety_library/care/doc/annual_statistics/2006_user.pdf

 

 

[moonraker]

Gone down a lot since 1972: 16 600 morts d’accident de la route en France.

 

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/1972_en_France

[Anton Redman]

1972 - Large numbers of three lane roads with the centre shared for overtaking. Trucks a lot slower so much more overtaking. Huge differences in how fast people could drive. Almost no roundabouts.

[oakbri]

[quote user="Pierre ZFP"]Read in the paper today that there were an astonishing 4615 deaths on French roads in 2007 and 104 601 injured in a total of  81 378(reported) accidents.  This is an increase of around 2% on 2006.  I don't know what the numbers are for the UK or other EU countries but it seems very high to me.  It would seem that the extra speed checks and cameras are having little effect.  I wonder if we will see lots more of them in France in an attempt to curb the carnage rather than trying to address the fundementals of why it's happening - or am I begining to sound like JC?

link repaired by a mod
[/quote]

I would doubt the cameras will do anything to reduce accidents. I don't want to look up statistics as you will find ones that show them as effective and ones that don't. We all know statistics can be manipulated to show whatever you want. However speaking from personal experience, I find myself very distracted, especially when driving in the UK, constantly checking my speedo, and I don't like anything that takes my eyes off the road ahead. Modern cars are well soundproofed and its getting harder to just judge your speed with enough accuracy. Governments don't really care if you hit someone who stepped out from behind a parked car because at that split second you were once again checking your speedo, they want your money !!!

I don't advocate getting rid of cameras, and one 100 metres before a school is always a good thing. However a camera in a van on a bridge above the A1 at 2 am is tantamount to highway robbery.

 

[maude]

After over 5 years here,I myself am extremely disturbed by the numbers of death figures displayed all over France,usually on straight roads!!!In my expereince/observation,the French do not seem to have any spacial awareness,hence trolleys and "natterers" in supermarkets and shops,car parks with pedestrians unaware of moving traffic.They seem oblivious to the potential hazards.Although generally not agressive whilst driving,indicating and or following on from the indicated direction seems to be unheard of.As for overtaking,many times we have been tailgated for miles,and although the road ahead is clear,they wait for the next village preferably with a blind bend or brow of a hill and then overtake!Completly beats me-so I put it down to either moule poisonning or again this lack of spacial awareness.I have even slowed right down to allow safe overtakers and on one occasion even stopped on a straight clear road,when the fellow behind also stopped !    C,est la vie-or the end of it!!!! Maude

[Gardian]

Any info by departement?  I believe that in the Gard, the figures are (sadly) up.  Wouldn't surprise me - I know of 2 very locally in the last 3 mths.

[Ford Anglia]

[quote user="Tresco"][quote user="Ford Anglia"]Why? Why couldn't it have been poor visibility? Or poorly drained road surfaces? Or drivers who were distracted by the rain, spray, wipers etc? Or people using rear foglamps so blinding others in wet conditions?

I can only agree with your statement if you remove the word "excessive", or if you mean that they shouldn't have been moving AT ALL.

FA[/quote] (my bold)

I suspect those are some of the 'conditions' SD was referring to.

For example, if someone is blinding me with their fog lights, I slow down and let them get far, far away from me, rather than put myself in danger by maintaining the same speed while being dazzled.

[/quote]

Yes, I suppose so........

[Ford Anglia]

[quote user="Anton Redman"]1972 - Large numbers of three lane roads with the centre shared for overtaking. Trucks a lot slower so much more overtaking. Huge differences in how fast people could drive. Almost no roundabouts.[/quote]

Seatbelts that HAVE to be worn, airbags, better tyres, better suspension, better lights, better brakes, stronger cars, crumple zones, collapsible steering columns, etc etc too.