The tragic accident, which took place on the night of Friday September 27 to Saturday September 28, 2024, caused great emotion in the country of Saint-Malo. A 17-year-old young man, holder of a B license, lost his life while driving on departmental road 201, between Cancale and Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine). “He had held his license for a short time,” confirms the Saint-Malo prosecutor. Since 1is January 2024, it is possible to obtain your driving license from the age of 17.
The driver was accompanied by a friend, aged 19 and slightly injured in the accident. What happened at 1 a.m. for the young driver to lose control of his vehicle? “Investigations are ongoing,” continues prosecutor Fabrice Trémel, who entrusted the investigation to the gendarmerie. He specifies that“a toxicological assessment has been ordered and will reveal whether or not the driver had consumed alcohol and/or drugs before getting behind the wheel”.
“This axis is not the most accident-prone”
The accident occurred outside a built-up area, on a winding road, between two bends. Several regulars in this sector have pointed out the dangerousness of this departmental road.
What the road safety figures do not show. No fatal accidents have been reported on this route over the past five years. There has been no injury accident since January 2024 either. “This axis is not the most accident-prone in the district”, confirm the mayors of the municipalities of Saint-Coulomb and Cancale and the gendarmerie.
Speed limited to 70 km/h
Owner of this axis, the Department of Ille-et-Vilaine explains that the portion of road where the accident took place is limited to 70 km/h “because of its sinuosity”. The services have counted four accidents in this sector over the last five years, involving motorcycles.
“The counts carried out recently show that the speed limit is generally respected in both directions of traffic. In addition, the road is in good condition and the signage in place is not damaged and clearly visible to users,” specifies the Department.
Tourist and panoramic route, The RD 201 is frequented by nearly 4,000 cars per day in summer. “In view of the low number of accidents despite significant traffic, this departmental road is not considered, as it stands, to be accident-prone,” concludes the Department.
