“When we get behind the wheel, it can lead us to death…” In Tarn, the prefect wants to spread the message

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“Driving is not not a trivial act. When we get behind the wheel, it can lead to our death.” The tone is serious. But the situation is. THE new prefect of TarnLaurent Buchaillat, attended a road check Thursday November 21, 2024 on the RD612 in Puygouzon, while two exceptionally violent accidents put the department into mourning in a few weeks.

Eight dead in just two accidents

Sunday October 6, 2024 on departmental road 112 at the height of Teyssode in Tarn, three people lost their lives in a face-to-face encounter. A month and a half later, Gaillacon Sunday November 17, five young people died in a collision against a tree on the RD988. Eight deaths in just two accidents has not happened for a very long time in the department.

There has already been 27 deaths in road accidents since the start of the year. “I have a strong thought for the victims,” explains Occitanie News Laurent Buchaillat, who took office in Tarn on October 21. But even without these two tragedies, “the trend is not good,” he insists.

More accidents and injuries

“Here, at the end of October, the increase in the number of accidents and injuries was around 20%,” he assures, “very unfavorable indicators”. So the prefect has a message to send: “We need collective mobilization, deaths can be avoided”.

Because on the road, we witness “daily, local” mortality. “Driving is not a trivial act, it requires vigilance,” repeats the State representative, for whom, the rest of daily life is not as risky.

Prevention, control, repression

What to do then? Act in three ways: prevention, control, repression. On the prevention side, the prefect is convinced, we need to do education. “We respect the rules to protect ourselves and to protect others,” he summarizes.

“All factors must be taken into account. In an accident, it is very rare that there is not at least a small behavioral problem. From a small moment of inattention to criminal behavior, each of us must be aware of this.”

On-board radars from 2025

On the control side, there are radars, of course. Even if their number has stopped increasing… “There are a lot of them. We treated the black spots in accidentology. They have reduced mortality, the next phase is on-board radars,” warns Laurent Buchaillat. They are expected in the Tarn very soon. Probably from 2025.

And then there are the sanctions. “800 driving licenses are withdrawn each year in Tarn, that’s two per day”recalls the State representative, who also assures that discussions are underway to toughen certain sanctions, particularly in the area of ​​narcotics.

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