Driving getting safer in France, suggest January 2025 road safety statistics
Fewer drivers, motorcyclists, and cyclists died last month - but more pedestrians lost their lives
There were fewer road deaths in January 2025, but many accidents resulting in injury are still caused by distractions such as looking at a smartphone
Panumas Yanuthai/Shutterstock
There were 17% fewer road deaths in mainland France in January this year in comparison to January last year, show new statistics from road safety authority la Sécurité routière.
Fewer fatalities
In a new report, released on February 17, the Observatoire national interministériel de la Sécurité routière said that the month of January 2025 had been less deadly for most, in comparison to the same month last year.
97 people died in vehicle road traffic accidents in January 2025, 21 fewer than the 118 who died in January 2024
21 motorcyclists died in road accidents in January 2025 compared to 40 in January 2024
Six cyclists were killed on the roads in January 2025, compared to 15 in January 2024
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In contrast, more pedestrians died last month, with 61 fatalities in January 2025, 12 more than the 49 who died in January 2024.
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Severe injuries
The number of people who were severely injured in a road accident fell by 9% year-on-year, to 934, the authority said.
25% of accidents resulting in injury are caused by driving distractions, mainly the use of smartphones while driving, it added.
In the press release, Florence Guillaume, delegate for la Sécurité routière, asked: “When you are looking at your phone, who is looking at the road?”
In total, law enforcement agencies counted 3,764 traffic accidents resulting in injury in mainland France in January 2025, the report said.
Winter danger
La Securité routière also took the opportunity to warn drivers and road users of the dangers of driving in the mountains over the winter.
Ms Guillaume called for “particular vigilance for journeys related to the winter holidays”.
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“I would like to remind you of the need to respect the safety rules, to put your smartphone in driving mode, to take regular breaks and, if you are going to mountain areas, to remember to put snow chains in your boot or to equip your vehicle with snow tyres,” she said.
