In July 2022, 354 fatalities occurred on the roads of mainland France and 23 overseas.
Warning: the health crisis linked to Covid-19 has led the government to take exceptional measures to restrict trips and activities, the evolution of road accidents since April 2020 reflects the impact of the measures and the way in which French people have adapted their mobility according to the periods. Since 2 February 2022, teleworking is no longer required 3 to 4 days a week in mainland France but is once again recommended. There are no restrictions on travel. The road accident indicators show very atypical trends since April 2020, depending on the period; comparisons are therefore also made with 2019 as a reference year, and even with previous years. |
Mainland
354 people were killed on the roads in mainland France in July 2022, compared with 316 in July 2021, i.e. 38 more people killed. This result is sharp increase than in July 2019 (26 more people killed, i.e. +8%) and also in increasecompared to the average for July 2015-2019. This is the second highest number of deaths in July over the last 10 years.
The number of injury accidents recorded by law enforcement was 4,745 in July 2022, lower than last year's result (348 fewer injury accidents than in July 2021) and the result for July 2019 (542 fewer injury accidents, i.e. a decrease of -10%).
6,018 people were injured in July 2022, a result -10% lower than in July 2021 and -11% lower than in July 2019: 6,698 people were injured in July 2021 and 6,792 in July 2019.
Travel during July 2022 was slightly higher than in July 2021 (by an average of +5% compared to July 2021, according to the Cerema traffic dataviz). Thus the results concerning road accidents reflect the strong recovery of French mobility compared to 2021, the number of fatalities is higher than in most pre-pandemic July months, and comparable to July 2011 and 2016.
Data source : ONISR - Data on injury accidents recorded by police forces - Geographical area : France mainland
Labelled series (final until 2021), 2022 estimate based on data as of 10/08/2022
2022 road fatalities by transport mode, age, and road network
In July 2022, no measures restricting the mobility of the French are in place in metropolitan France, whereas last year a third confinement was in place until 30 July, with a limit on the size of certain gatherings. Mortality in July 2022 is thus much higher than that recorded in July 2021 and even higher than that of July 2019; it is higher than the average for the months of July over the last five years before the pandemic (2015-2019).
Pedestrian fatalities in July 2022 are higher than those in July 2021 and in July 2019. Thus, 44 pedestrians were killed in July 2022, 10 more than in July 2021 and 3 more than in July 2019.
Cyclist fatalities in July 2022, with 29 killed, are higher than in July 2021 and July 2019. This mortality was the highest observed for 10 years and reaches the same level as July 2020 with the same number of cyclists killed.
Motorcyclist fatalities, with 85 killed, are higher than in July 2021 and 2019. This result is also lower than the level observed between 2015 and 2019.
Car user fatalities are much higher than in July 2021 and slightly higher than in July 2019: 158 car users were killed in July 2022 compared to 160 in July 2021 and 146 in July 2019 (i.e. 2 fewer and 12 more fatalities respectively). Car users fatalities in July 2022 was higher than the average for July 2015-2019.
17 children or teens were killed on the roadways in July 2022, which is lower than in July 2021 and similar than in July 2019.
58 young people aged 18-24 were killed on the roads in July 2022, 3 fewer than in July 2021 and 7 more than in July 2019; this is slightly higher than the pre-pandemic level.
89 senior citizens aged 65 or more died on the roads in July 2022, well above the figure for July 2021 (16 more deaths) and also higher than the July figures for the five pre-pandemic years, with the exception of July 2015.
In urban areas, fatalities are higher than in July 2021 and in July 2019, with 13 and 11 more fatalities respectively.
In rural areas, fatalities are significantly higher than in July 2021, with 23 more fatalities, and higher than in July 2019, with 13 more fatalities. It reaches the level of the 2015-2019 average, years in which, apart from 2019, the speed limit on two-way roads was 90 km/h.
ns: non-significant change
Data source : ONISR - Data on injury accidents recorded by police forces - Geographical area : France mainland
Labelled series (final until 2021), 2022 estimate based on data as of 10/08/2022
Development of the number of users fatalities cumulated on a rolling 12 months
The health crisis has deeply affected trips since March 2020, for all users, but to varying degrees depending on the alternation of restrictions and authorized movements. Even if the pandemic is still active, trips and accident rates are returning to near pre-pandemic levels, sometimes with changes linked to new habits.
Car users usually account for half of the road deaths. Their fatalities over the last 12 months is estimated at 1,602 fatalities compared to 1,622 for the whole of 2019, a result that is close to the pre-pandemic level.
Pedestrian fatalities, which have been falling since March 2020, are tending to return to pre-pandemic levels: an estimated 487 pedestrians have died in the last 12 months, compared with 483 for the whole of 2019.
The fatalities of powered two-wheeler over the past 12 months are still lower than in 2019. Motorcyclist fatalities are down by -4% with 593 fatalities in the last 12 months compared to 615 fatalities in 2019. The decline in moped rider fatalities has continued over these last 12 months, despite a rebound in May, down -14% compared to 2019, with 115 moped killed over the last 12 months compared to 134 in 2019; a fall which affects all age groups.
Fatalities among young adults aged 18-24, at high risk of serious road accidents, are comparable to those recorded in 2019 for the last 12 months, with 550 deaths compared with 549 deaths in 2019.
Compared to other trends, cyclist fatalities over the last 12 months are more higher than in 2019: 238 cyclists have died over the last 12 months, i.e. +27% compared to 2019. Indeed, the French are showing an interest in using individual modes of transport for short journeys in towns and cities, but they also use bicycles for leisure activities in rural areas.
Finally, the number of fatalities among heavy goods vehicle users rose sharply in late 2021 and early 2022. It is up by +36% compared to 2019 but remains similar to the average of the years 2015-2019.
Data source : ONISR - Data on injury accidents recorded by police forces - Geographical area : France mainland
Labelled series (final until 2021), 2022 estimate based on data as 10/08/2022
Evolution of people injured over the last 12 months according to their transport mode
Warning: The number of people injured in road traffic accidents as recorded by the police forces is under-represented. Injured people, particularly those on e-scooters, bicycles or motorbikes, contact the emergency services directly or go to health facilities on their own, or even return home, without the police forces being aware of this. The volumes of injuries recorded by the police forces are therefore very volatile over a given month or since the beginning of the year, and it was therefore decided to display the trends for the current month and the cumulative total since January, compared with 2021 and 2019. Only the rolling 12-months totals are displayed in relative terms compared to 2019, which is taken as the reference year for the decade. |
In urban areas, , the evolution of PMDs motorized injured is on an upward slope compared to 2019, as this mode of travel has grown. In the last 12 months, compared to 2019, the number of injured cyclists has increased by 12%, while the number of injured pedestrians and motorcyclists has decreased by -12% and -15%.
In rural areas, the biggest increase in injured over the last 12 months compared to 2019 is for cyclists, with +19%. The trend in motorised twowheelers injured is slightly up compared to 2019.
ns: non-significant change
Data source : ONISR - Data on injury accidents recorded by police forces - Geographical area : France mainland
Labelled series (final data until 2021), 2022 provisional data as of 10/08/2022
Overseas
In July 2022, the accident indicators for french overseas are lower than in July 2021 and higher than in July 2019, except for fatalities :
- 264 injury accidents compared to 280 injury accidents ;
- 316 injured compared 350 injured ;
- 23 fatalities compared to 30 fatalities.
ns: non-significant change
Data source : ONISR - Data on injury accidents recorded by the police forces - Geographic scope: DOM + COM + New Caledonia
Final data until 2021, 2022 provisional data stopped as of 10/08/2022