The approach of the Nîmes Feria (13-15 September) undoubtedly prompted the authorities to react immediately.
In any case, it is the poor road safety figures in the Gard which are pushing the public authorities to take measures to try to make an impression and stop the ongoing haemorrhage on the department’s roads.
It must be said that since the 1er January 2024, 42 people lost their lives on the roads of Gard, compared to 34 last year at the same time (as of September 6). At this rate, the 55 deaths deplored in 2023 in the department could be exceeded by New Year’s Eve.
This is why an emergency headquarters dedicated to road safety was convened on September 5. In the presence of the prosecutors of Nîmes and Alès, the prefect of Gard, Jérôme Bonet, decided to bang his fist on the table. “ We wanted to say that’s enough. We will deploy all the powers in our respective hands, on the judicial or administrative level, to be implacable in terms of repression and actions. » In other words, road checks will intensify on the roads of Gard in the coming weeks and probably until the end of the year.
Beyond the 42 deaths, the Gard prefect indicated that the number of accidents and injuries was “ very high ». More than a third of accidents are due to head-on collisions, which leads Jérôme Bonet to say that there are a number of “ innocent victims ». “ You are on the road without asking for anything and you risk losing your life. This is an absolutely intolerable danger. »
Most accidents are in fact due to behavioral problems: either alcohol consumption or driving under the influence of drugs.
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