In 1990, there were 162,567 road traffic injury accidents. 10,289 people were killed (within 6 days of their accident), including 1,407 pedestrians, 401 cyclists, 657 moped riders, 946 motorcyclists, 6,295 motorists and 194 truck users. 501 children aged 14 or under died, 433 adolescents aged 15-17, 2,520 young people aged 18-24, 1,503 seniors aged 65 or over.
In 1999, only 8,029 people were killed (within 6 days of their accident), including 882 pedestrians.
The purpose of road safety reports is to make accidents known and to understand their components, in particular through thematic and transversal analyses. It is also a question of highlighting the major challenges of road safety.
In 1989, the White Paper on Road Safety was published. It outlines the main orientations of future policies and identifies the need to improve control/sanction.
In 1990, the speed limit was set at 50 km/h in urban areas and it was possible to reduce the speed limit to 30 km/h in urban areas and 70 km/h outside urban areas under certain conditions.
In 1991, wearing a seat belt in rear seats became mandatory at the rear of vehicles, with specific child restraint systems.
In July 1992, the demerit point system was introduced.
In 1995, the blood alcohol level was lowered to 0.5 g/l.
Drug hazard pictograms were introduced in 1999.
Most of the motorway network buildig is coming to an end. The vehicles are equipped with airbags. The educational continuum is being established, in which case road safety education is based on the principle that knowledge and skills must be acquired at an early age and progress continuously, according to the abilities and needs of each age.
Despite these measures, mortality fell by only 20% over the decade. At the same time, overall traffic increased by 20%. The number of people killed per billion km travelled was 16 in 2000.
An amnesty law on road safety was promulgated in 1995 following the example of the 1988 law: it excludes from the amnesty offences and contraventions leading to the withdrawal of 3 points or more.