Road fatalities continued to rise in France (mainland and overseas) in January 2022 with 284 killed, i.e. + 39.9% compared to January 2021 and + 9.65% compared to January 2019. An increase also noted in October, November and December 2021. Even if according to the provisional report of the National Interministerial Observatory for Road Safety (Onisr) published last month, road mortality fell by 8% in 2021 compared to 2019.
Note that due to changes in traffic conditions from March 2020 due to the health crisis, the Onisr compares its short-term data for 2022 with those of 2021 and 2019, the reference year before the health crisis. . The organization had already applied this double comparison in 2021, with the years 2020 and 2019.
The other road accident indicators also remained up in January 2022 compared to January 2021, but were down compared to January 2019. Thus, the police counted 3,955 bodily accidents in January 2022, i.e. +5.05% and –6.39% compared to January 2021 and January 2019 respectively. Among the 5,193 victims, 4,909 people were injured in January 2022, i.e. +5.41% and –6.71% compared to January 2021 and 2019.
| France (mainland + overseas) | January 2019 | January 2021 | January 2022 | Difference 2021-2022 | Evolution 2021-2022 | Difference 2019-2022 | Evolution 2019-2022 |
| accidents | 4,225 | 3,765 | 3,955 | 190 | 5.05% | -270 | -6.39% |
| Victims | 5,521 | 4,860 | 5,193 | 333 | 6.85% | -328 | -5.94% |
| You are | 259 | 203 | 284 | 81 | 39.90% | 25 | 9.65% |
| Wounded | 5,262 | 4,657 | 4,909 | 252 | 5.41% | -353 | -6.71% |
Metropolitan France: 260 dead in January 2022
According to Onisr figures, road deaths increased by 44% in January 2022 compared to January 2021 and by 9% compared to January 2019, with 260 killed on the roads of mainland France. In addition, the police recorded 3,728 injury accidents in January 2022 (+ 6% compared to 2021 and – 6% for 2019). In these accidents, 4,623 people were injured in January 2022, i.e. respectively +7% and –7% compared to January 2021 and 2019.
This increase in road accidents could be explained by “travel in January 2022 10% higher on average in mainland France compared to January 2021”, indicates Cerema.
| Metropolis | January 2019 | January 2021 | January 2022 | Difference 2021-2022 | Evolution 2021-2022 | Difference 2019-2022 | Evolution 2019-2022 |
| accidents | 3,977 | 3,508 | 3,728 | 220 | 6.27% | -249 | -6.3% |
| Victims | 5,198 | 4,492 | 4,883 | 391 | 8.70% | -315 | -6.1% |
| You are | 239 | 180 | 260 | 80 | 44.44% | 21 | 8.8% |
| Wounded | 4,959 | 4,312 | 4,623 | 311 | 7.21% | -336 | -6.8% |
Most users affected
In January 2022, road fatalities increased for most categories of users: pedestrians (+104% compared to January 2021), cyclists (+15%), moped riders (+75%), motorists (+65%) and truck drivers (+20%). “Pedestrian road mortality remains one of the highest for the month of January over the past ten years,” points out Onisr. And, this increase in road fatalities, compared to January 2021, is observed for all age groups: + 29% for those under 18, + 15% for 18-24 year olds and + 44% for those aged 65 and over. But also, on all types of roadway: + 27% in built-up areas, + 58% outside built-up areas and + 38% on motorways.
Conversely, road fatalities fell in January 2022 for users of motorized personal transport vehicles (EDP-m) (-67% compared to January 2021) and for motorcyclists (-39%).
| User category | January 2019 | January 2021 | January 2022 | Difference 2021-2022 | Evolution 2021-2022 | Difference 2019-2022 | Evolution 2019-2022 |
| Pedestrians | 49 | 28 | 57 | 29 | 103.57% | 8 | 16.33% |
| EDPm | 0 | 3 | 1 | -2 | -66.67% | 1 | NS |
| Cyclists | 9 | 13 | 15 | 2 | 15.38% | 6 | 66.67% |
| moped riders | 4 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 75.00% | 3 | 75.00% |
| Motorcyclists | 24 | 28 | 17 | -11 | -39.29% | -7 | -29.17% |
| Motorists | 139 | 88 | 145 | 57 | 64.77% | 6 | 4.32% |
| HGV users | 0 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 20.00% | 6 | NS |
| age range | January 2019 | January 2021 | January 2022 | Difference 2021-2022 | Evolution 2021-2022 | Difference 2019-2022 | Evolution 2019-2022 |
| Under 18 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 28.57% | -2 | -18.18% |
| 18-24 years old | 31 | 33 | 38 | 5 | 15.15% | 7 | 22.58% |
| 65 or older | 75 | 59 | 85 | 26 | 44.07% | 10 | 13.33% |
| Road network | January 2019 | January 2021 | January 2022 | Difference 2021-2022 | Evolution 2021-2022 | Difference 2019-2022 | Evolution 2019-2022 |
| In urban areas | 84 | 66 | 84 | 18 | 27.27% | 0 | 0.00% |
| Extra-urban | 133 | 93 | 147 | 54 | 58.06% | 14 | 10.53% |
| On the highway | 22 | 21 | 29 | 8 | 38.10% | 7 | 31.82% |
Overseas: 24 killed in January 2022
As in mainland France, road deaths increased overseas by 4.3% in January 2022 compared to January 2021 and by 20% compared to January 2019. The police recorded 24 deaths in January 2022. However, unlike mainland France, the other road accident indicators fell in January 2022, with a total of 227 injury accidents and 286 injuries, i.e. – 12% and – 17% compared to January 2021.
| Overseas | January 2019 | January 2021 | January 2022 | Difference 2021-2022 | Evolution 2021-2022 | Difference 2019-2022 | Evolution 2019-2022 |
| accidents | 248 | 257 | 227 | -30 | -11.7% | -21 | -8.5% |
| Victims | 323 | 368 | 310 | -58 | -15.8% | -13 | -4.0% |
| You are | 20 | 23 | 24 | 1 | 4.3% | 4 | 20.0% |
| Wounded | 303 | 345 | 286 | -59 | -17.1% | -17 | -5.6% |
