If the Haute-Vienne prefecture will officially comment on the road safety figures in February, the Departmental Road Safety Observatory reveals some lessons on accidentology in 2024.
16
At the end of November (the results for December will be published at the beginning of February), fourteen people had lost their lives on the roads of Haute-Vienne in the year 2024. With the death of the 42-year-old motorcyclist in Saint-Germain-les-Belles on December 1, and the death of the 24-year-old young man on Christmas Day in Veyrac, the death toll rose to 16 deaths. A particularly deadly number of victims compared to 2023 (21 deaths) or 2021 (32).
35 – 49 ans
This is the age group most involved in road accidents. In more than a third of accidents in 2024, a person aged between 35 and 49 was involved. Those aged 50-64 come second (32%) ahead of those aged 25-34. Unsurprisingly, it is therefore the most active age group of the population (25-64 years) which is most affected by accidents, as in 2023.
328
In 2024, according to prefecture figures as of November 30, 328 injury accidents occurred in Haute-Vienne. A figure which could be around 350 over the year. Much lower than for 2023 (422) and 2022 (420).
414
The number of injured in road accidents stands at 414 for 2024. A drop of 38% compared to the end of November 2023, and almost 18% for 2022. The lowest total since 2021 (523 injured).
-65 years and over
Although the number of injured is lower than the previous two years, the accident victims are mainly elderly. Of the sixteen people who died last year, six are 65 years old or older (37.5%). It’s impossible not to remember the death of Jean-Marc Chatard, 74, nicknamed “The Man in Blue”, knocked down on his bike by a car on November 8 on the RD 979 in Eyjeaux. Or even this frontal collision of September 12 when a 75-year-old woman lost her life on the RD 704 near La Roche-l’Abeille. Finally, among the sixteen deaths, eleven people were over 50 years old, or almost 70%. Accidents often more serious for elderly people.
Cars and pedestrians
According to the Departmental Observatory, car accidents are the majority (more than 50% of accidents). But those involving pedestrians and “personal transportation devices”, such as electric scooters, were also numerous, as were motorized two-wheelers.
The causes
As in 2023, the vast majority of accidents are linked to three major causes, according to prefectural figures: the disturbed attention of motorists, “irregular traffic or maneuvering”, and speed, which is always an important factor.
Note the significant share of discomfort in accidents in the second half of 2024.
