Motorcycle biker mortality on the roads is on the rise again. Cyclists and motorists are also singled out. But over the year and all categories combined, the number of deaths on the roads is slightly lower: 3,693 (metropolitan and overseas), 45 fewer than in 2016 (-1.2%).
That is not going to work in the hands of those who want to change the course of things in terms of road safety. Difficult indeed to fight against the passage of 90 to 80 km/h on the two-way roads without central separator when the number of deaths on the roads in 2017 of the two main categories of users, the biker-scooters and the motorists, leaves again to the rise.
Black year for bikers
Bikers and scooters have paid a heavy price in 2017. 669 death is 53 more than in 2016. This corresponds to a rise of 9%. Motorists do better with a little less than 1% increase but still see their number of deaths on the road from 1760 to 1770. In contrast, cyclists, like bikers, show a significant increase of 6% in from 162 to 172 death in 2017 compared to 2016.
It’s better for other users
For their part, pedestrians see their statistics decline encouragingly, if we still deplore 488 death in 2017, this figure is down 13% from 2016 where there were 559, or 71 of more. The number of 2018 is being counted.
These numbers we do not speak about
If we add the statistics of pedestrians and cyclists, non-motorized users in total, we arrive at a total of 660 death. It’s almost equivalent to the number of biker death. What do road safety specialists expect to impose safety clothing on these particularly vulnerable users? When are helmets and reflective vests mandatory for cyclists, who often drive at speeds equivalent to motorized vehicles in urban centers? When is the obligation to wear high visibility clothing for pedestrians crossing streets sometimes poorly lit at night?
It is a safe bet that many tragedies could be avoided if these users almost invisible. Unpredictable behavior and devoid of any form of body protection were more easily spotted and equipped with reflective materials to limit the effects of a fall or fall. An impact against another user.