EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Brussels, 13.2.2026
SWD(2026) 42 final
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT
Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - France
Accompanying the document
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
Report on the Implementation of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework at the Mid-Point
{COM(2026) 77 final} - {SWD(2026) 33 final} - {SWD(2026) 34 final} - {SWD(2026) 35 final} - {SWD(2026) 36 final} - {SWD(2026) 37 final} - {SWD(2026) 38 final} - {SWD(2026) 39 final} - {SWD(2026) 40 final} - {SWD(2026) 41 final} - {SWD(2026) 43 final} - {SWD(2026) 44 final} - {SWD(2026) 45 final} - {SWD(2026) 46 final} - {SWD(2026) 47 final} - {SWD(2026) 48 final} - {SWD(2026) 49 final} - {SWD(2026) 50 final} - {SWD(2026) 51 final} - {SWD(2026) 52 final} - {SWD(2026) 53 final} - {SWD(2026) 54 final} - {SWD(2026) 55 final} - {SWD(2026) 56 final} - {SWD(2026) 57 final} - {SWD(2026) 58 final} - {SWD(2026) 59 final}
Contents
1.
Summary
2.
Road Safety Strategy and Measures
2.1.
Road Safety Strategy
2.2.
Road Safety Governance
2.3.
Main Safety Issues
2.4.
Road Safety Measures
3.
Road Safety Progress
3.1.
Road Safety Outcomes
3.2.
Road Safety Performance Indicators
4.
Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation
4.1.
Implementing progress
4.2.
Best practices
4.3.
Gaps
5.
Conclusions and Recommendations
France
1.Summary
In 2024, France was above the EU average (45), with 48 road fatalities per million inhabitants. Compared to 2019, a decrease of 2% in road fatalities was recorded. In 2023, the number of serious injuries recorded was slightly lower than the respective figure in 2019. Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in France shows a relatively high proportion of fatalities on rural roads and killed powered two-wheeler riders.
France has set the targets of halving the numbers of road fatalities and serious injuries by 2030 compared to 2019. In addition, 38 road safety key measures are included in the last roadmap agreed by the Interministerial Road Safety Committee in 2023, which are grouped into seven road safety priorities.
Based on the latest available data for 2024 showing slow progress since 2019, France appears to require actions on multiple fronts; this in order to reach the ambitious targets of halving road fatalities and serious injuries by 2030.
2.Road Safety Strategy and Measures
2.1.Road Safety Strategy
In France, the priorities to be addressed on road safety are announced with each meeting of the Interministerial Road Safety Committee (CISR), which brings together ministers under the leadership of the Prime Minister. The last one, “Driving safely and securely on French roads”, was the road map agreed in July 2023.
France endorsed the target of halving the number of killed and seriously injured by 2030, and the concept of “Zero fatalities on the roads by 2050” set out in the EU’s road safety policy framework.
Table 11.1: National road safety plan
2.2. Road Safety Governance
The Inter-ministerial Committee for Road Safety (CISR), the National Road Safety Council (CNSR) and the Ministry of Interior via the Directorate of Road Safety (DSR) are responsible for the formulation of the national road safety action plans. The CISR is the responsible body for the overall decision-making for road safety, while the CNSR involves all stakeholders and makes proposals to improve road safety.
The ONISR (French Road Safety Observatory) is responsible for the monitoring of road safety developments in the country. More specifically it is responsible for the traffic crash database and the evaluation of the road safety policies in the country.
2.3. Main Safety Issues
According to the priorities set out in the 2023 list of priorities, and based on the crash statistics of the period 2013-2022, the following main issues arise:
·The increased number of serious injuries (16,000 in 2022)
·24% of road fatalities were people walking, cycling and using personal mobility devices in 2022. Over the 2013-2022 period, while serious injuries’ totals remained stable, the number of serious injuries among these road users increased by 19%
·Excessive or inappropriate speed, alcohol consumption, and driving under the influence of narcotics are among the main causes of fatal accidents for all age groups.
·The observation of the factors causing fatal accidents among men aged 18-34 (who are the most likely to be responsible for causing fatal accidents) shows that speed, alcohol and drugs are often heavily involved.
2.4.Road Safety Measures
A total of 38 new key road safety measures divided in seven road safety priorities were identified by France
. Over and above this, France is building on existing work and measures already in place with the aim of achieving Vision Zero. Some examples of the effective existing measures are points on licences, speed cameras, fast prosecutions and higher sanctions.
Table 11.2: Road safety priorities and number of activities
|
Priority
|
Activities
|
|
1.Education to improve shared road use
|
5
|
|
2.Improving detection, assessment and monitoring of unfit drivers
|
2
|
|
3.Protecting vulnerable road users and supporting victims
|
8
|
|
4.Working to ensure the safety of all road users
|
6
|
|
5.Combating the most hazardous types of conduct
|
8
|
|
6.Simplifying life for road users
|
5
|
|
7.Taking action to improve road safety in overseas
|
4
|
|
Total
|
38
|
3. Road Safety Progress
3.1. Road Safety Outcomes
Based on data for 2024, France was 17th out of the 27 EU countries in terms of the lowest numbers of fatalities per million inhabitants. In fact, 48 road fatalities per million inhabitants were recorded that year, which is above the EU average (45).
France disposes MAIS3+ data on serious injuries
. Based on the latest available data, in 2022, 15,956 people were seriously injured in road crashes, a slight decrease of 2% on 2019.
Figure 11.1 Mortality rates by country, 2024
Sources: CARE database on road crashes; population data from Eurostat (online data code
demo_pjan
).
Compared to 2019, the number of fatalities decreased only by 2% in 2024 and the number of serious injuries decreased by 2% in 2023. Therefore, France currently does not appear to be on track to meet the 2030 targets of halving the numbers of road fatalities and serious injuries.
Figure 11.2 Road fatalities and target 2030
(Source: CARE database)
Figure 11.3 Serious road injuries and target 2030
(Source: ERSO, Fact & Figure Serious Injuries)3
Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in France shows a high proportion of powered two-wheeler (PTW) fatalities and fatalities on rural roads
. In fact, fatalities on rural roads account for 60% of all road fatalities in 2024 and killed PTW riders for 23%.
An overview of the evolution of road fatalities during the period 2019-2024 (year with the latest available data) is provided below for specific types of roads, crashes and road users. Overall, in France, road fatalities declined for almost all groups examined below, except for fatalities in single vehicle crashes, and among cyclists. The largest reduction in fatalities was recorded on motorways (8%), while the overall reduction was 2%. On the other hand, the number of cyclists killed on the roads increased by 20%.
In terms of serious injuries the largest reduction between 2019 and 2022 (detailed data for 2023 are not yet available) was recorded for pedestrians (14%), while the number of seriously injured cyclists increased by 14% over the same period.
Table 11.3: Evolution of road fatalities, 2019-2024
|
Fatalities
|
2019
|
2024
|
%
in 2024
|
% change
2019-2024
|
|
Total road fatalities
|
3,237
|
3,181
|
-
|
-2%
|
|
Inside urban areas
|
1,034
|
1,020
|
32%
|
-1%
|
|
Outside urban areas
|
1,943
|
1,923
|
60%
|
-1%
|
|
Motorways
|
260
|
238
|
7%
|
-8%
|
|
Single vehicle crashes
|
1,308
|
1,311
|
41%
|
0%
|
|
Multi vehicle crashes
|
1,479
|
1,449
|
46%
|
-2%
|
|
Car occupants
|
1,622
|
1,518
|
48%
|
-6%
|
|
PTW riders
|
749
|
720
|
23%
|
-4%
|
|
Cyclists
|
187
|
224
|
7%
|
+20%
|
|
Pedestrians
|
476
|
444
|
14%
|
-7%
|
Table 11.4: Evolution of serious injuries, 2019-2022
|
Serious Injuries
|
2019
|
2022
|
%
in 2022
|
% change
2019-2022
|
|
Total serious injuries
|
16,248
|
15,956
|
-
|
-2%
|
|
Inside urban areas
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
-
|
-
|
|
Outside urban areas
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
-
|
-
|
|
Motorways
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
-
|
-
|
|
Single vehicle crashes
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
-
|
-
|
|
Multi vehicle crashes
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
-
|
-
|
|
Car occupants
|
5,173
|
4,807
|
30%
|
-7%
|
|
PTW riders
|
5,742
|
5,346
|
34%
|
-7%
|
|
Cyclists
|
2,314
|
2,628
|
16%
|
+14%
|
|
Pedestrians
|
2,315
|
1,996
|
13%
|
-14%
|
3.2. Road Safety Performance Indicators
In France, the use of seat-belts among passenger car occupants is higher than the EU average, for both front and rear seats. Self-reported use of alcohol while driving is above the EU average. France has a younger passenger car fleet compared to the EU average.
Table 11.5: Road Safety Performance Indicators, 2022 – 2025 (Source: ERSO, Country Profiles)
|
|
France
|
EU
|
|
|
2022
|
2025
|
2022
|
2025
|
|
Speeding
% of passenger cars travelling within speed limits a
|
|
Motorways
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Rural Roads
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Urban Roads
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Seat belt & CRS use rates (%) a*,b
|
|
Front
|
98.0
|
97.2
|
93.1
|
92.4
|
|
Rear
|
92.0
|
83.4
|
75.3
|
69.9
|
|
Child restraint systems (roadside observations)
|
-
|
95.0
|
67.0
|
83.3
|
|
Child restraint systems (in-vehicle inspections)
|
/
|
/
|
-
|
-
|
|
Helmet use rates (%) a
|
|
PTW driver
|
98.0
|
-
|
97.0
|
97.6
|
|
PTW passenger
|
-
|
-
|
94.4
|
97.0
|
|
Cyclist
|
-
|
-
|
37.8
|
34.5
|
|
DUI of Alcoholc
(self-reported)
|
|
% of car drivers who have driven at least once in the last 30 days over the legal limit
|
15.6
|
-
|
11.8
|
11.8
|
|
Driver Distraction a
|
|
|
% of drivers not using hand-held mobile device/phone while driving
|
95.0
|
-
|
94.8
|
94.5
|
|
Vehicle Safety
|
|
% of new passenger cars rated with 4 EuroNCAP stars and above a
|
-
|
-
|
83.6
|
82.7
|
|
Average age of passenger car fleet (years)d
|
10.8
|
11.2
|
12.3
|
12.5
|
Sources: a Baseline and Trendline projects, b ETSC (2022), c ESRA3 project (2024), d ACEA (2024, 2025), Notes: *2025 data only for weekdays
4.Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation
This section is based on the self-assessment provided by the country. Since France did not provide a self-assessment, the sections below are left intentionally empty.
4.1.Implementing progress
4.2.Best practices
4.3.Gaps
5.Conclusions and Recommendations
In France’s list of priorities for the period 2023-2030, the targets of halving the number of road fatalities and serious injuries in 2030 compared to 2019 have been set. A total of 38 key road safety measures grouped into seven road safety priorities are included.
In 2024, France, with 48 road fatalities per million inhabitants, was above the EU average and ranked 17th out of the 27 EU countries. Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in France shows a relatively high proportion of powered two-wheeler (PTW) fatalities and fatalities on rural roads.
Based on data, between 2019 and 2024, a decrease of 2% in road fatalities was recorded. The number of serious injuries decreased by 2% between 2019 and 2023. Accordingly, France appears to require actions on multiple fronts following a risk-based approach; this in order to reach the ambitious targets of halving road fatalities and serious injuries by 2030.
