But the latter would be, according to the leader of the green group in the Walloon Parliament, Stéphane Hazée, much less ambitious than his predecessor. He explains. “During the previous legislature, the regional policy declaration (DPR) provided for an intermediate objective set at a maximum of 100 deaths in 2030. In its own, the new government does not take up this intermediate objective.explains the Walloon MP. However, with supporting figures, it demonstrates that over the last five years, “even if there is sometimes a year when the number of deaths rises, the objective of a maximum of 100 deaths in 2030 seemed to be achievable..
The number of people killed on Belgian roads is falling sharply
217 deaths in 2023
Worried about the abandonment of this intermediate objective, the Green MP questioned, in committee of the Walloon Parliament, the Minister in charge of Road Safety, François Desquesnes (Les Engagés). He replied that “the absence of mention of the intermediate objective does not mean that there is no longer an intermediate objective”. He adds that reaching the zero objective in 2050, “this means achieving a reduction of eight deaths each year. The linear trajectory therefore leads us to a reduction by 2030, limited to 165 excess deaths”. For Stéphane Hazée, “The Walloon Government has therefore reduced Wallonia’s ambition! Indeed, the 2030 objective as explained by the Minister is no longer to target a maximum of 100 excess deaths by 2030, but 165 excess deaths! This also means that the time to reach the target of 100 excess deaths will be considerably extended, around double.he believes.
Are you the danger on the road?
The number of victims on Walloon roads was 217 in 2023, compared to 234 in 2022.This is a more significant decrease compared to 2019 when 295 deaths were recorded. The sadly record year of the previous decade was 2012 with 375 people killed on our roads.explains Stéphane Hazée.
-For him, “itt is incomprehensible, when road safety is an issue that can concern everyone and which is legitimately one of the priority concerns of the population. It is all the more incomprehensible as Wallonia is concretely moving forward in line (and even in slight anticipation) with this ambition.”
Ford lets you take your hands off the wheel on Belgian and European highways
“Review the levers in a more precise way”
On the side of Minister Desquesnes, we do not at all share the analysis of the opposition member. “It must be noted that the objective of 100 deaths in 2030 is not possible to achieve when we see the drop in the number of deaths in recent years. And then the results of the previous legislature are not necessarily easy to analyze because there was covid”. The minister specifies that there remains “ambitious”, and that it is necessary “to reduce the number of road deaths.
To do this, the general meetings on road safety will be held between March and November. Similar exercise was carried out in 2020 by Minister De Bue (MR) “We must redefine the different levers to be put in place in a more precise manner. Since 2020, we have had better statistics, and certain things have changed, particularly on the issue of addiction and distracted driving. When this is done, each level of power, the region, the municipalities and the police zones will have a toolbox to put in place the necessary measures, following local realities.explains the minister.
