“In La Manche, a majority of accidents and deaths are outside urban areas”

Pauline Jouvenaux, director of the Road Prevention association in Normandiedelivers his analysis of accident figures in the Channel in 2024.

35 deaths in the Channel in 2024, we can speak of a dark year. This is as much as in the period before Covid. What do you think of these worrying results?

In Normandy, the figures are not very good. We do not yet have all the figures, but we know that there were 53 killed in Seine-Maritime (compared to 38 in 2023), 41 in Eure (29) and 35 in Manche (30). It's always difficult to make comparisons. These are departments which do not have the same population, the same density or the same roads. We will have to wait for the final and consolidated balance sheets to be able to analyze in more detail. In Manche, we realize that a majority of accidents and deaths occur outside urban areas. Among the leading causes of mortality, we will find speed, which remains the leading factor in mortality, before alcohol, which is responsible for a third of accidents. What must be done to stem this phenomenon? We will first focus on training and prevention to inform everyone. And then, unfortunately, only sanction control will work for certain people. But we cannot impose sanctions without having had prevention beforehand.

We note an increase in the number of deaths and accidents in good weather. How do you explain these peaks?

It is a general phenomenon, contrary to what one might believe. Accidents happen in large numbers when the weather is nice, in a straight line. Users will lower their vigilance. The first half of the year is often calm, but accidents will really increase from the summer onwards, with a peak during the holidays. This is observed quite generally because there are these weather conditions which change and which seem more favorable. In summer, there are also inevitably more people who will hit the road. The mind is one of relaxation and celebration, we pay less attention. This is why Road Safety has been organizing a beach tour for several years. Summer is a festive period, when habits change, often associated with increased alcohol consumption. We offer awareness-raising actions on the dangers of drinking and driving in order to provide the keys to returning safely after convivial moments. In winter, when the time changes, we also carry out a light and vision operation to raise awareness about seeing well and being seen. We check visibility equipment free of charge. And during the end-of-year celebrations in Manche, we were, for example, in the Saint-Lô market to distribute breathalyzers and conduct awareness workshops. It's long-term work, starting from a very young age: how to walk in the street, how to behave in the car with your parents, how to ride a bike… Then, when you're in the world of work, after , for seniors. There are really constant reminders about how to properly share the road.

“The user must constantly adapt”

Seniors have paid a heavy price in 2024. Each year, Road Safety organizes a certain number of workshops dedicated to them…

It is necessary to carry out regular updates of the Highway Code and to raise awareness among seniors of the new traffic rules. In particular, we will show them accident simulations to understand the circumstances. We're going to talk about reaction time. The idea is to extend their autonomy.

You mentioned sharing the road. In recent years, new means of transport (electric scooter, hoverboard) have appeared, and users today seem to have more and more difficulty sharing the road…

Indeed, the user must constantly adapt. The emergence of certain practices has led to changes in behavior. We must now learn to share the road, but also know how to put ourselves in each other's shoes. We will generally get annoyed with a pedestrian when we are a driver, while we ourselves, pedestrians, will certainly have the same behavior. So, we must constantly remember everyone's context and try to share as best we can.

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.