In 2023, 407 300 road safety offenders were referred by public prosecutors, representing 21 % of all offenders referred that year. This summary is based on provisional 2023 data provided by the Ministry of Justice.
The scope covered by the statistical data from the Ministry of Justice consists of convictions handed down, under various procedures (penalty orders, court judgments and appearances following a guilty plea), for criminal offences and fifth-class summary offences relating to road safety and recorded in the criminal records. These are supplemented by penal compositions, which are alternative procedures that do not constitute the first stage of reoffending but whose measures are recorded in the criminal records.
Road safety offences sanctioned by the courts can be grouped into four main categories:
- offences related to failure to comply with driving rules (drink-driving, driving under the influence of drugs, or speeding offences), accounting for 44 % of offenders referred in 2023;
- offences against persons, accounting for 7 %;
- “documentation” offences (such as driving without a licence), accounting for 37 %;
- offences aimed at evading checks, accounting for 12 %.
➢ By age
In 2023, drink-driving and driving under the influence of drugs were the two main offences sanctioned under the Highway Code. However, these two offences do not show the same age distribution among those convicted. Drink-driving mainly affects those aged 25–34 (28 %) and 35–44 (26 %), whereas drug-driving mainly concerns those aged 25–34 (38 %) and 18–24 (32 %).
Failure to hold insurance and driving despite a licence suspension mainly affect those aged 25–34 (respectively 36 % and 35 %). Driving without a licence also concerns this age group (32 %), but even more strongly affects those aged 18–24, who account for 34 % of those convicted.
Unintentional injuries and manslaughter mainly concern those aged 25–34, who account for 27 % of those convicted in both categories, as well as those aged 18–24, accounting for 25 % and 26 % of those convicted respectively.