European Road Safety Observatory
National Road Safety Profile - France
National Road Safety Profile – France
This document is part of a series of 30 country profiles: one for each member of the EU 27
and three EFTA countries (Iceland, Norway and Switzerland). The purpose of this series is to
provide tables and figures that give an overview of the road safety situation in a specific coun-
try. The tables and figures are organized according to a pyramid of road safety information:
(1) road safety outcomes, (2) road safety performance indicators, (3) road safety programmes
and measures, and (4) structure and culture.
Contract: This document has been prepared in the framework of the EC Service Contract
MOVE/C2/SER/2019-100/SI2.822066 with Vias institute (BE) and SWOV Institute for Road Safety
Research (NL).
Version 1.0, September 13, 2021
Authors: Annelies Schoeters, Nathan De Vos & Freya Slootmans (Vias institute).
Referencing: Reproduction of this document is allowed with due acknowledgement. Please
refer to the document as follows: European Commission (2021) National Road Safety Profile
France. Brussels, European Commission, Directorate General for Transport.
Disclaimer
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the material presented in this document is
relevant, accurate and up-to-date, the (sub)contractors cannot accept any liability for any error
or omission, or reliance on part or all of the content in another context.
Any information and views set out in this document are those of the author(s) and do not
necessarily reflect the official opinion of the European Commission. The Commission does not
guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this study. Neither the Commission nor any
person acting on the Commission’s behalf may be held responsible for the use that may be
made of the information contained herein.
1
National Road Safety Profile – France
1 Highlights
Road safety outcomes
• In 2019 a total of 3,244 people were killed in reported traffic accidents in France.
• France is 14th out of 27 EU countries in terms of the lowest numbers of fatalities per
million inhabitants. Over the past twenty years this number has decreased at the same
pace as the EU average.
• Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in France shows a relatively high
proportion of car occupants and fatalities younger than 25. The proportion of pedestri-
ans on the other hand is much smaller than the EU average.
• Over the past ten years there was an unfavourable trend in the number of fatalities and
serious injuries for cyclists and on motorways.
Road safety performance indicators
• France has one of the highest self-reported frequencies of drink-driving.
• French road infrastructure is characterized by high road density. Its quality is perceived
as rather high compared to other EU countries.
• French passenger cars are considerably younger than the EU average.
Road safety policy and measures
• Enforcement is more widely perceived as effective in comparison to other EU countries.
• Both the self-reported frequency of alcohol checks and of drug checks in France are lower
than the European average.
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National Road Safety Profile – France
2 Road Safety Outcomes
2.1 General risk in traffic
In France, a total of 3,244 people were killed in reported traffic accidents in 2019. In terms
of mortality rate, there were 50 road fatalities per million inhabitants, which is close to the
EU average (51) but above the rates of most of its neighbouring countries. Since 2001, the
mortality rate in France has declined at the same pace as the EU average.
The number of fatalities in France has decreased sharply between 2010 and 2013 and re-
mained broadly stable between 2013 and 2019. This is similar to the trend observed for the
EU as a whole. The number of injuries in France also decreased over the same period.
Table 1. Number of road fatalities and injuries (2010 and 2019). Source: CARE
Victims 2010 2019 Trend EU 2010 EU 2019 EU trend
Fatalities 3,992 3,244 -19% 29611 22700 -23%
Injuries 84,461 70,473 -17% / / /
Figure 1. Number of road fatalities per million inhabitants (2019). Source: CARE & EUROSTAT
50
EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51EU = 51
0
25
50
75
100
Sweden
Ireland
Malta
Netherlands
Denmark
Luxembourg
Germany
Spain
Finland
Estonia
Austria
Slovenia
Slovakia
France
Italy
Belgium
Czechia
Cyprus
Hungary
Portugal
Greece
Lithuania
Latvia
Croatia
Poland
Bulgaria
Romania
Liechtenstein
Iceland
Norway
Switzerland
United Kingdom
Fatalities per million inhabitants
3
National Road Safety Profile – France
Figure 2. Number of road fatalities (2010-2019). Source: CARE
3,992
3,963
3,653
3,268
3,384
3,461
3,471
3,444
3,246
3,244
29,611
28,754
26,509
24,226
24,140
24,358
23,800
23,400
23,300
22,700
France
European Union
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
0
10000
20000
0
1000
2000
3000
Fatalities
Figure 3. Number of injuries (2010-2019). Source: CARE
84,461
81,251
75,851
70,607
73,048
70,774
72,631
73,382
69,885
70,473
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Injuries
4
National Road Safety Profile – France
Figure 4. Number of road fatalities per million inhabitants (2001-2019). Source: CARE & EUROSTAT
0
50
100
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Fatalities per million inhabitants
France European Union
2.2 Transport modes
1
In 2019, car occupants accounted for half of road traffic fatalities in France. This percentage is
slightly higher than that observed in the European Union as a whole. The percentage of pow-
ered two-wheelers is also higher in France (23%) than in the European Union (18%). Pedestrians
on the other hand, represent only 15% of road fatalities, while they are 21% in the European
Union.
Over time there has been a decrease in the number of fatalities in France for all modes except
cyclists. While the number of cyclist fatalities increased by 18% over the past ten years, their
number remained broadly stable in the European Union. This increase was even higher in
urban areas in France, with the number of fatally injured cyclists increasing by 41%. Moreover,
cyclists are – together with occupants of buses and coaches - the only road user group for
which the number of serious injuries increased.
Of all vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and powered two-wheelers) in France that
were fatally injured, a third were involved in a crash with a car, and 11% were involved in a crash
with a lorry or heavy goods vehicle. Only a small proportion of these victims were involved in a
bus crash. In contrast with the European Union, the number of fatally injured vulnerable road
users that were involved in crashes with cars remained more or less constant over the past ten
years.
The overall number of fatalities in single vehicle crashes (i.e. only one vehicle and no other
road user is involved) in France has decreased less than in the European Union. The number
of cyclists that were killed in a single vehicle crash increased more significantly in France than
in the European Union.
1
For more details about the categories used in this subsection, please see section 6.2 Definitions.
5
National Road Safety Profile – France
Figure 5. Number of road fatalities by transport mode (2019). Source: CARE
21%
15%
9%
6%
18%
23%
44%
50%
5%
European Union
France
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Fatalities (%)
Pedestrians
Cyclists
Powered two−wheelers
Car occupants
Lorry/HGV/bus/coach occupants
Other/unknown
Table 2. Average number of road fatalities by transport mode (2010-2012 and 2017-2019). Source: CARE
Transport mode 2010 - 2012 2017 - 2019 Trend EU 2010 - 2012 EU 2017 - 2019 EU trend
Pedestrians 498 475 -5% 5,793 4,767 -18%
Cyclists 151 178 +18% 2,023 1,991 -2%
Powered two-wheelers 953 765 -20% 5,058 4,132 -18%
Car occupants 2,020 1,675 -17% 13,309 10,445 -22%
Lorries, under 3.5t 142 96 -32% 898 780 -13%
Heavy goods vehicles 63 44 -30% 590 408 -31%
Bus/coach occupants 4 7 / 102 98 -4%
Other/unknown 40 69 / 1,119 691 /
Total 3,869 3,311 -14% 28,291 23,133 -18%
Table 3. Average number of injuries by transport mode (2010-2012 and 2017-2019). Source: CARE
Transport mode 2010 - 2012 2017 - 2019 Trend
Pedestrians 11,748 10,172 -13%
Cyclists 4,055 4,341 +7%
Powered two-wheelers 25,582 19,338 -24%
Car occupants 35,148 32,916 -6%
Lorries, under 3.5t 2,196 2,146 -2%
Heavy goods vehicles 742 575 -23%
Bus/coach occupants 617 632 +2%
Other/unknown 434 1,128 /
Total 80,521 71,247 -12%
Table 4. Average number of fatalities among vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and mopeds) involved in
crashes involving cars, buses or coaches, and lorries or heavy goods vehicles (2010-2012 and 2017-2019). Source:
CARE
Crash type 2010 - 2012 2017 - 2019 Trend EU 2010 - 2012 EU 2017 - 2019 EU trend
Crashes involving buses or coaches 23 21 -9% 258 201 -22%
Crashes involving cars 493 476 -3% 5,507 4,666 -15%
Crashes involving lorries or heavy goods vehicles 186 152 -18% 1,721 1,333 -23%
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National Road Safety Profile – France
Table 5. Average number of road fatalities in urban areas by transport mode (2010-2012 and 2017-2019). Source:
CARE
Transport mode 2010 - 2012 2017 - 2019 Trend EU 2010 - 2012 EU 2017 - 2019 EU trend
Pedestrians 343 323 -6% 3,944 3,303 -16%
Cyclists 58 82 +41% 1,113 1,134 +2%
Powered two-wheelers 370 278 -25% 2,200 1,595 -28%
Car occupants 281 274 -2% 2,883 2,164 -25%
Lorries, under 3.5t 14 16 / 149 132 -11%
Heavy goods vehicles 2 3 / 82 31 -62%
Bus/coach occupants 0 1 / 24 27 +12%
Other/unknown 16 24 / 222 260 /
Total 1,085 1,001 -8% 10,730 8,837 -18%
Table 6. Average number of road fatalities in single vehicle crashes by transport mode (2010-2012 and 2017-2019).
Source: CARE
Transport mode 2010 - 2012 2017 - 2019 Trend EU 2010 - 2012 EU 2017 - 2019 EU trend
Cyclists 23 41 +78% 299 381 +27%
Powered two-wheelers 332 279 -16% 1,746 1,443 -17%
Car occupants 978 856 -12% 5,905 4,471 -24%
Lorries, under 3.5t 71 47 -34% 365 288 -21%
Heavy goods vehicles 34 26 -24% 241 147 -39%
Bus/coach occupants 3 6 / 40 35 -12%
Other/unknown 28 41 / 327 341 /
Total 1,469 1,296 -12% 8,923 7,106 -20%
2.3 Age
The distribution of road fatalities across age groups in France is slightly different to that for the
European Union. People aged 17 and younger represent 22% of road fatalities, which is higher
than what is seen in the European Union (16%). On the other hand, the proportion of fatalities
aged 65 and older is somewhat smaller.
Over the past ten years, the trend in the number of fatalities in France was less favourable for
people aged 50 and older. While the number of fatalities dropped significantly for the younger
age categories, the number of fatalities remained stable for the age group of 50 to 64 and
increased for the people aged 65 and older. This overall trend is partly due to the ageing of
the population and is also observed in the European Union as a whole. A similar trend can be
observed for seriously injured victims.
Figure 6. Number of road fatalities by age group (2019). Source: CARE
4%
5%
12%
17%
34%
34%
21%
18%
28%
26%
European Union
France
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Fatalities (%)
0 − 17
18 − 24
25 − 49
50 − 64
65+
Unknown
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National Road Safety Profile – France
Table 7. Average number of road fatalities by age group (2010-2012 and 2017-2019). Source: CARE
Age 2010 - 2012 2017 - 2019 Trend EU 2010 - 2012 EU 2017 - 2019 EU trend
<15 124 85 -31% 744 499 -33%
15 - 17 145 97 -33% 761 493 -35%
18 - 24 799 538 -33% 4,399 2,755 -37%
25 - 49 1,458 1,142 -22% 10,458 7,915 -24%
50 - 64 586 594 +1% 5,273 4,891 -7%
65+ 756 852 +13% 6,392 6,559 +3%
Unknown 0 0 / 738 148 /
Total 3,869 3,311 -14% 28,291 23,133 -18%
Table 8. Average number of injuries by age group (2010-2012 and 2017-2019). Source: CARE
Age 2010 - 2012 2017 - 2019 Trend
<15 6,062 5,210 -14%
15 - 17 5,330 4,067 -24%
18 - 24 16,850 13,666 -19%
25 - 49 34,042 29,516 -13%
50 - 64 11,183 11,295 +1%
65+ 7,050 7,466 +6%
Unknown 3 27 /
Total 80,521 71,247 -12%
2.4 Gender
The high proportion of males among total road fatalities in France (77%) is similar to the EU
average. This gender pattern apparent throughout the EU can be explained by differences in
relation to frequency of transport use and to behaviour.
Figure 7. Number of road fatalities by gender (2019). Source: CARE
23%
23%
77%
77%
European Union
France
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Fatalities (%)
Female Male Unknown
Table 9. Average number of road fatalities by gender (2010-2012 and 2017-2019). Source: CARE
Gender 2010 - 2012 2017 - 2019 Trend EU 2010 - 2012 EU 2017 - 2019 EU trend
Female 938 755 -20% 6,656 5,453 -18%
Male 2,931 2,554 -13% 21,523 17,764 -17%
Unknown 0 0 / 1,310 42 /
Total 3,869 3,311 -14% 28,291 23,133 -18%
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National Road Safety Profile – France
Table 10. Average number of injuries by gender (2010-2012 and 2017-2019). Source: CARE
Gender 2010 - 2012 2017 - 2019 Trend
Female 30,290 25,551 -16%
Male 50,231 45,695 -9%
Unknown 0 0 /
Total 80,521 71,247 -12%
2.5 Area
The majority of road fatalities in France occurred on rural roads (60%). This percentage is
slightly higher than in the European Union as a whole (52%).
Over the past ten years, the number of fatalities and serious injuries in France have increased
significantly on motorways. In the European Union the number of fatalities on motorways
remained stable over the same period.
Figure 8. Number of road fatalities by road type (2019). Source: CARE
8%
8%
52%
60%
38%
32%
European Union
France
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Fatalities (%)
Motorways Rural roads Urban roads Unknown
Table 11. Average number of road fatalities by road type (2010-2012 and 2017-2019). Source: CARE
Road type 2010 - 2012 2017 - 2019 Trend EU 2010 - 2012 EU 2017 - 2019 EU trend
Motorway 243 270 +11% 2,038 1,969 -3%
Rural 2541 2038 -20% 15,205 12,200 -20%
Urban 1085 1001 -8% 10,730 8,837 -18%
Unknown / / / 770 321 /
Total 3869 3311 -14% 28,291 23,133 -18%
Table 12. Average number of injuries by road type (2010-2012 and 2017-2019). Source: CARE
Road type 2010 - 2012 2017 - 2019 Trend
Motorway 5710 7866 +38%
Rural 21058 20141 -4%
Urban 53754 43240 -20%
Unknown / / /
Total 80521 71247 -12%
2.6 Time
2
The distribution of fatalities by day of the week and time of the day is very similar to that for
the European Union, with the majority of fatalities occurring in the daytime during the working
week.
2
For more details about the time periods used in this subsection, please see section 6.2 Definitions.
9
National Road Safety Profile – France
Figure 9. Number of road fatalities by period of time (2019). Source: CARE
11%
13%
23%
22%
55%
57%
8%
8%
European Union
France
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Fatalities (%)
Working week − daytime
Working week − night−time
Weekend − daytime
Weekend − night−time
Unknown
Table 13. Average number of road fatalities by period of time (2010-2012 and 2017-2019). Source: CARE
Period of time 2010 - 2012 2017 - 2019 Trend EU 2010 - 2012 EU 2017 - 2019 EU trend
Working week - daytime 2100 1868 -11% 15,404 13,265 -14%
Working week - night-time 343 280 -18% 2,566 1,980 -23%
Weekend - daytime 892 741 -17% 6,353 5,383 -15%
Weekend - night-time 535 421 -21% 3,540 2,593 -27%
Unknown / / / 4,071 662 /
Total 3869 3311 -14% 28,291 23,133 -18%
2.7 Road conditions
The majority of road fatalities occur on dry roads. This is the case for France, as well as for the
European Union as a whole. Regarding light conditions, one third of fatalities occur when it is
dark, which is similar to the EU average.
Figure 10. Number of road fatalities by surface conditions (2019). Source: CARE
76%
78%
20%
20%
European Union
France
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Fatalities (%)
Dry Snow, frost, ice, slush Wet, damp Other/unknown
Table 14. Average number of road fatalities by surface conditions (2010-2012 and 2017-2019). Source: CARE
Surface conditions 2010 - 2012 2017 - 2019 Trend EU 2010 - 2012 EU 2017 - 2019 EU trend
Dry 2,957 2,579 -13% 21,091 17,711 -16%
Snow, frost, ice, slush 77 40 -48% 988 442 -55%
Wet, damp 712 611 -14% 5,636 4,663 -17%
Other/unknown 124 79 / 2,458 446 /
Total 3,869 3,311 -14% 28,291 23,133 -18%
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National Road Safety Profile – France
Figure 11. Number of road fatalities by light conditions (2019). Source: CARE
29%
36%
50%
57%
5%
7%
16%
European Union
France
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Fatalities (%)
Daylight Twilight Darkness Unknown
Table 15. Average number of road fatalities by light conditions (2010-2012 and 2017-2019). Source: CARE
Light conditions 2010 - 2012 2017 - 2019 Trend EU 2010 - 2012 EU 2017 - 2019 EU trend
Darkness 1395 1152 -17% 8,918 6,782 -24%
Daylight 2191 1910 -13% 13,706 11,932 -13%
Twilight 283 247 -13% 1,498 1,228 -18%
Unknown / / / 5,301 3,908 /
Total 3869 3311 -14% 28,291 23,133 -18%
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National Road Safety Profile – France
3 Road safety performance indicators
3.1 Behaviour of road users
Most of the road safety performance indicators regarding behaviour are based on self-
reported behaviour. France performs worse than the European average in relation to
speeding, wearing a seatbelt in the back and wearing a helmet as a cyclist. Moreover, it has
one of the highest scores for drink-driving.
3.1.1 Speeding
Table 16. Observed speeding. Source: ETSC (2017)
Mean speed (km/h) Percentage offenders
Urban roads (50 km/h) 48 NA%
Rural roads (90km/h) 82 32%
Rural roads (110km/h) 104 20%
Motorways (110 km/h) 104 29%
Motorways (130 km/h) 121 23%
Figure 12. Percentage of car drivers that say they have driven faster than the speed limit outside built-up areas
(but not on motorways/freeways) at least once in the last 30 days. Source: ESRA (2018)
68%
75%
Italy
Bulgaria
United Kingdom
Spain
Ireland
Greece
Hungary
Europe
Netherlands
Belgium
Poland
France
Germany
Switzerland
Portugal
Czechia
Norway
Sweden
Finland
Slovenia
Denmark
Austria
Luxembourg
0 25 50 75 100
% self−reported speeding outside built−up areas (but not on motorways/freeways)
12
National Road Safety Profile – France
3.1.2 Driving under the influence
Figure 13. Percentage of car drivers that say they have driven at least once in the last 30 days when they may have
been over the legal limit for drinking and driving. Source: ESRA (2018)
13%
22%
Hungary
Finland
Bulgaria
Poland
Sweden
Norway
United Kingdom
Germany
Netherlands
Ireland
Denmark
Czechia
Europe
Italy
Portugal
Austria
Slovenia
Spain
Greece
Switzerland
France
Belgium
Luxembourg
0 10 20 30 40 50
% self−reported drink driving
3.1.3 Use of protective systems
Table 17. Observed seatbelt wearing rate. Source: IRTAD (2018)
Seatbelt wearing rate
Car drivers on urban roads 98%
Car drivers on rural roads 99%
Car drivers on motorways 99%
Car drivers 99%
Front seat passengers 99%
Rear seat passengers 88%
13
National Road Safety Profile – France
Figure 14. Percentage of car passengers that say they always wore their seatbelt in the back seat in the last 30
days. Source: ESRA (2018)
23%
37%
Denmark
United Kingdom
Luxembourg
Norway
Germany
France
Ireland
Netherlands
Sweden
Finland
Belgium
Spain
Europe
Slovenia
Switzerland
Austria
Czechia
Poland
Portugal
Greece
Bulgaria
Hungary
Italy
0 25 50 75 100
% self−reported seatbelt wearing in the back seat
Figure 15. Percentage of cyclists that say they always cycled with a helmet in the last 30 days. Source: ESRA (2018)
26%
31%
Netherlands
Belgium
Hungary
Poland
France
Germany
Denmark
Finland
Slovenia
Sweden
Czechia
Austria
Europe
Bulgaria
Italy
Luxembourg
Norway
Switzerland
Spain
Greece
Ireland
United Kingdom
Portugal
0 25 50 75 100
% self−reported helmet wearing among cyclists
14
National Road Safety Profile – France
3.1.4 Distraction
Figure 16. Percentage of car drivers that say they have at least once in the last 30 days talked on a hand-held
mobile phone while driving. Source: ESRA (2018)
26%
29%
United Kingdom
Netherlands
Belgium
Ireland
Spain
Denmark
Switzerland
France
Italy
Hungary
Europe
Sweden
Norway
Czechia
Luxembourg
Austria
Portugal
Bulgaria
Germany
Poland
Slovenia
Greece
Finland
0 25 50 75 100
% self−reported talking on a handheld phone while driving
3.2 Infrastructure
The overall road network in France shows relatively high road density in comparison with the
EU average. Motorway density on the other hand is similar as the EU average. The indicator for
the quality of road infrastructure is based on the judgements made by road users themselves.
For France, a score of 6 (on a value scale from 1 to 7) is given, which is one of the highest scores.
3.2.1 Road density
Table 18. Road density. Source: EUROSTAT (2018)
France European Union
Motorways 18 km road/1000 km² 15 km road/1000 km²
Total 1729 km road/1000 km² 942 km road/1000 km²
15
National Road Safety Profile – France
3.2.2 Road quality
Figure 17. Perceived quality of the road infrastructure (1 = extremely poor, 7 = among the best in the world).
Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey (2017-2018)
6
0
2
4
6
8
Romania
Latvia
Malta
Bulgaria
Slovakia
Czechia
Hungary
Poland
Norway
Slovenia
Greece
Italy
Belgium
Iceland
Ireland
Lithuania
Estonia
Cyprus
United Kingdom
Finland
Denmark
Germany
Spain
Sweden
Croatia
Luxembourg
Austria
France
Portugal
Netherlands
Switzerland
Perceived quality of roads
3.3 Vehicle fleet
The size of the French vehicle fleet, expressed per 100 inhabitants, is similar to the EU average.
Regarding the age of the vehicles, French passenger cars appear to be considerably younger
than the EU average, with only 34% passenger cars over 10 years.
Table 19. Number of registered vehicles per 100 inhabitants. Source: EUROSTAT (2019)
France European Union
All vehicles (except trailers and motorcycles) 61 63
Total utility vehicles 12 9
Lorries 10 7
Road tractors 0 1
Trailers and semi-trailers 1 4
Passenger cars 50 54
Motor coaches, buses and trolley buses 0 0
Special vehicles 1 1
Table 20. Age of registered passenger cars. Source: EUROSTAT (2019)
France European Union
Percentage of total number of passenger cars
Less than 2 years 14% 12%
From 2 to 5 years 20% 15%
From 5 to 10 years 32% 21%
From 10 to 20 years 34% 42%
Over 20 years / 11%
16
National Road Safety Profile – France
4 Road safety policy and measures
4.1 Legislation
National road safety legislation in France reflects the situation in the majority of EU countries
with a few exceptions. While child restraint systems in most EU countries are compulsory up to
a child height of 135cm or 150cm, they are compulsory up to 10 years in France. Furthermore,
unlike other countries there is no age restriction in France to transport children on motorcycles.
Table 21. National road safety legislation. Source: WHO (2018)
France EU countries
Speed limits for passenger cars
Urban roads 50 km/h 50 km/h: 26; 65 km/h: 1
Rural roads 90 km/h 110 km/h: 2; 100 km/h: 3; 90 km/h: 17; 80 km/h: 4
Motorways 130 km/h No limit1; 140 km/h: 2; 130 km/h: 14; 120 km/h: 6;
100 km/h: 1
Allowed BAC (blood alcohol concentration) levels
General population 0.5 g/l 0 g/l: 2; 0.2 g/l: 3; 0.3 g/l: 1; 0.4 g/l: 1; 0.5 g/l: 19; 0.8
g/l: 1
Novice drivers 0.2 g/l 0 g/l: 7; 0.1 g/l: 1; 0.2 g/l: 12; 0.3 g/l: 2; 0.5 g/l: 4; 0.8
g/l: 1
Professional drivers 0.5 g/l 0 g/l: 6; 0.1 g/l: 1; 0.2 g/l: 10; 0.3 g/l: 2; 0.5 g/l: 7; 0.8
g/l: 1
Seatbelt requirement
Drivers Yes Yes: 27; No: 0
Front passengers Yes Yes: 27; No: 0
Rear passengers Yes Yes: 27; No: 0
Transport of children
Child restraint required Up to 10 yrs Up to 150 cm: 13; Up to 135 cm: 3; Up to 10 yrs: 1
Children in front seat of passenger cars Prohibited under 10 yrs Prohibited under 10 yrs: 1; Prohibited under 12 yrs or
135 cm: 1; Prohibited under 150 cm: 1; Prohibited
under 135 cm: 1; Allowed in a child restraint: 22; Not
restricted: 1
Children passengers on motorcycles Not restricted Not restricted: 9; Prohibited under certain age/height:
18
Motorcycle helmets
Applies to driver Yes Yes: 27; No: 0
Applies to passengers Yes Yes: 27; No: 0
Applies to all roads Yes Yes: 27; No: 0
Applies to all engines Yes Yes: 25; No: 2
Helmet fastening required Yes Yes: 18; No: 9
Standard referred to and / or specified Yes Yes: 19; No: 8
Mobile phone restriction
Applies to hand-held phone use Yes Yes: 26; No: 1
Applies to hands-free phone use No Yes: 0; No: 27
4.2 Enforcement
According to an international respondent consensus, in which the effectiveness of road safety
enforcement is measured on a ten-point scale, France scores above the EU average for almost
all legislation surveyed. On the other hand, both the self-reported frequency of alcohol checks
and of drug checks in France is lower than the European average.
17
National Road Safety Profile – France
Table 22. Effectiveness of enforcement according to an international respondent consensus (scale = 0-10). Source:
WHO (2018)
France European average
Speed legislation 8 6.8
Drink-driving legislation 7 7
Seatbelt legislation 8 7
Child restraint system legislation 9 7
Motorcycle helmet legislation 9 8
Figure 18. Percentage of car drivers that say they have been checked by the police for using alcohol at least once
over the past 12 months. Source: ESRA (2018)
15%
18%
United Kingdom
Germany
Denmark
Italy
Netherlands
Switzerland
Luxembourg
France
Europe
Austria
Ireland
Portugal
Norway
Sweden
Belgium
Greece
Slovenia
Spain
Hungary
Finland
Bulgaria
Czechia
Poland
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
% checked by the police for using alcohol (self−reported)
Figure 19. Percentage of car drivers that say they have been checked by the police for the use of drugs at least
once over the past 12 months. Source: ESRA (2018)
2%
4%
Luxembourg
Denmark
France
Germany
Finland
Netherlands
Portugal
Slovenia
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
Austria
Belgium
Hungary
Italy
Poland
Europe
Greece
Norway
Ireland
Czechia
Spain
Bulgaria
0 5 10 15
% checked by the police for the use of drugs (self−reported)
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National Road Safety Profile – France
4.3 Road infrastructure
Table 23. Infrastructure-related policy. Source: WHO (2018)
France EU countries
Audits or star rating required for new road infrastructure Partial Yes: 10 Partial: 17
Inspections / star rating of existing roads Yes Yes: 26 No: 1
Design standards for the safety of pedestrians / cyclists Yes Yes: 25 Partial: 2 No: 0
Investments to upgrade high risk locations Yes Yes: 20 No: 7
Policies & investment in urban public transport Yes Yes: 23 No: 4
Policies promoting walking and cycling Yes Yes: 21 Subnational: 3 No: 3
4.4 Post-crash care
Table 24. Policy related to post-crash care. Source: WHO (2018)
France EU countries
Trauma registry Subnational National: 13 Subnational: 4
Some facilities: 0 None: 7
National assessment of emergency care system No Yes: 9 No: 18
Provider training and certification - Prehospital providers -
Formal certification pathway
/ Yes: 19 No: 6
Provider training and certification - Nurses - Post graduate
courses in emergency and trauma care
/ Yes: 21 No: 5
Provider training and certification - Specialist doctors -
Emergency medicine
/ Yes: 21 Subnational: 0
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National Road Safety Profile – France
5 Structure and culture
5.1 Country characteristics
Population density and urbanization in France is similar to the EU average. Its GDP per capita
is above that of the European Union.
Table 25. Country characteristics. Source: EUROSTAT and IRTAD
European Union France
Population-related data (2020)
Population (2020) 447319916 67320216
Population density (inhabitants/km²) 106 105
% Children (0-14) 15% 18%
% Adults (15-64) 64% 62%
% Elderly (65+) 21% 20%
Urbanization (2019)
% living in cities 38% 36%
% living in suburbs and towns 34% 29%
% living in rural areas 28% 35%
Economic data
GDP per capita (EUR, 2020) 29768.3 34207.6
Unemployment rate (2020) 7% 8%
% GDP dedicated to road spending (2019) 0.6% 0.5%
5.2 Structure of road safety management
Table 26. Road safety management structure. Source: National sources
Key functions Key actors
The Inter-ministerial Committee for Road Safety (CISR): overall
decision-making body for road safety
The National Road Safety Council (CNSR): propositions to
improve road safety. It involves all stakeholdersFormulation of national road safety strategy
The Ministry of Interior via the Directorate of Road Safety (DSR)
Monitoring of the road safety development ONISR (French Road Safety Observatory), responsible for the
traffic crash database and evaluation of the road safety policies
The Ministry of Transport (MTES) for trunk road network
Road concessionairesImprovements in road infrastructure
Local authorities (County and City level)
The Ministry of Transport (MTES) responsible for vehicle
regulations
Improvement in vehicles
The Ministry of Interior responsible for driver regulations and
training (DSR)
Directorate of Road Safety (DSR)
Improvement in road user education
Ministry of Education
Directorate of Road Safety (DSR)
Insurance companiesPublicity campaigns
Road Safety association
Enforcement of traffic laws Police forces: “gendarmerie nationale” in nonurban areas,
“police” in urban areas
Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Work
Research institute: Gustave Eiffel (technical improvements for
infrastructure and vehicles)
Other relevant actors
Centre of studies and expertise on risks, environment, mobility
and development (CEREMA)
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National Road Safety Profile – France
5.3 Attitudes
Table 27. Attitudes towards speeding, towards drink-driving, and towards the use of a mobile phone while driving.
Source: ESRA (2018)
France European average Ranking among
European countries
% of respondents that agree
Speeding
I often drive faster than the speed limit 13% 12% 16/22
I will do my best to respect speed limits in the next 30 days 65% 71% 3/22
Drink-driving
I often drive after drinking alcohol 2% 2% 14/22
I will do my best not to drive after drinking alcohol in the
next 30 days
69% 76% 1/22
Use of a mobile phone while driving
I often talk on a hand-held mobile phone while driving 4% 3% 11/22
I often check my messages on the mobile phone while
driving
4% 4% 19/22
I will do my best not to use my mobile phone while driving
in the next 30 days
71% 74% 5/22
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National Road Safety Profile – France
6 Notes
6.1 Data sources
CARE
(Community database on Accidents on the Roads in Europe) All information in part 1 of this
document (road safety outcomes) is based on data in the CARE database. The European aver-
age is based on the average of the 27 EU countries. Date of extraction: 26th of March, 2021.
There may be small discrepancies between the CARE data presented in the report and the
accident data published in national reports.
ESRA (E-Survey of Road Users’ Attitudes)
The European average is the average of 20 European countries (Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Den-
mark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal,
Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom) https://www .esranet.
eu/en/
ETSC (European Transport Safety Council)
Car safety data was retrieved from https://etsc.eu/wp-content/uploads/PIN-Flash-30-Final.pdf
Data about speeding was retrieved from https://www.etsc.eu/pinflash36
IRTAD (International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group)
Data is retrieved from the OECD database: https://stats.oecd. org/ Date of extraction: 7th of
August 2020
WHO (World Health Organization)
The data are retrieved from the WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety that was published
in 2018. The European average is based on the average of the 27 EU countries. http s://www.
who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/2018/en/
World Economic Forum
Data is retrieved from http://reports.weforum.org /pdf/ gci-2017-2018-scorecard/WEF_GCI_2
017_2018_Scorecard_EOSQ057.pdf
6.2 Definitions
Accident / Crash
Any accident involving at least one road vehicle in motion on a public road or private road to
which the public has right of access, resulting in at least one injured or killed person (Source:
UNECE/ITF/Eurostat Glossary). Note: the definition of “injury” varies considerably among EU
countries thus affecting the reliability of cross country comparisons.
Bicycle
Vehicle with at least 2 wheels, without engine. In some cases it can also use electric power.
Bus or Coach
Bus: passenger-carrying vehicle, most commonly used for public transport, having more than
16 seats for passengers. Coach: passenger-carrying vehicle, having more than 16 seats for
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National Road Safety Profile – France
passengers. Most commonly used for interurban movements and tourist trips. To differentiate
from other types of bus, a coach has a luggage hold separate from the passenger cabin.
CARE EU Average and aggregated numbers
In the second section “Road safety outcomes”, we provide EU averages and aggregated figures
based on the most recent figures available (2019). However, as some countries have not yet
provided their official data for that year, we have produced the EU averages and aggregated
data by imputing figures based on data from previous years. The aggregated EU averages and
figures in this report may therefore differ slightly from the aggregated averages and figures
for 2019 that will be published in the future.
Fatal crash
Crash with at least one person killed regardless the injury severity of any other persons in-
volved.
Fatalities
Total number of persons fatally injured within 30 days of the road crash; correction factors
applied when needed. Confirmed suicide and natural death are not included.
Lorry, under 3.5 tonnes
Goods vehicle under 3.5t maximum gross weight. Smaller motor vehicle used only for the
transport of goods.
Pedestrian
Person on foot. Included are occupants or persons pushing or pulling a child’s carriage, an
invalid chair, or any other small vehicle without an engine. Also included are persons pushing
a cycle, moped, roller-skating, skateboarding, skiing or using similar devices. Does not include
persons in the act of boarding or alighting from a vehicle. (Source: UNECE/ITF/Eurostat Glos-
sary and CADAS Glossary) Unilateral pedestrian crashes (e.g. pedestrian falls) are excluded.
Powered two-wheelers
Driver or passenger of either a moped (two or three wheeled vehicle equipped with engine size
of maximum 50cc and maximum speed that does not exceed 45 km/h. A moped can also have
an electric motor. Speed pedelecs and electric powered bicycles that offer pedal assistance up
to 45 km/h, also belong to this category of vehicles.) or a motorcycle (motor vehicle with two
or three wheels, with an engine size of more than 50 cc. A motorcycle can also have an electric
motor.).
Seriously injured (at least 30 days)
The CARE database includes the number of persons seriously injured who have been hospi-
talised for at least 24 hours. An alternative source is MAIS (Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale)
which is a globally accepted trauma scale used by medical professionals. The injury score is
determined at the hospital with the help of a detailed classification key. The score ranges from
1 to 6, with levels 3 to 6 considered as serious injuries.
Working week – Daytime
Monday to Friday 6.00 a.m. to 9.59 p.m.
Working week – Night-time
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National Road Safety Profile – France
Monday 10 p.m. to Tuesday 5.59 a.m. Tuesday 10 p.m. to Wednesday 5.59 a.m. Wednesday
10 p.m. to Thursday 5.59 a.m. Thursday 10 p.m. to Friday 5.59 a.m.
Weekend - Daytime
Saturday to Sunday 6.00 a.m. to 9.59 p.m.
Weekend - Night-time
Friday 10 p.m. to Saturday 5.59 a.m. Saturday 10 p.m. to Sunday 5.59 a.m. Sunday 10 p.m. to
Monday 5.59 a.m.
24
