Road safety – The State wants to hit harder in terms of road safety … –

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The state wants to hit harder in terms of road safety…

Road safety - The State wants to hit harder in terms of road safety ... -

Despite its increasingly sophisticated repressive arsenal, the government is struggling to meet its road safety objectives. Worse: the number of road deaths in 2014 will likely be higher than 2013, a first for 12 years. Faced with this affront, Bernard Cazeneuve, Minister of the Interior, prepares …

Despite its increasingly sophisticated repressive arsenal, the government is struggling to meet its road safety objectives. Worse, the number of road deaths in 2014 will likely be higher than 2013, a first for 12 years. Faced with this affront, Bernard Cazeneuve, Minister of the Interior, is preparing a "very offensive" plan…

"We must put the package"

The year 2015 promises to be a delicate year for road users … Faced with criticism of bad road safety figures in 2014, the government is reacting in its usual way: by promising more and more repression.

"I will present a very aggressive global plan in January which will touch on all subjects that may represent risks and increase the number of accidents, injuries and deaths", warned the Minister of the Interior Bernard Cazeneuve, in sidelines of the screening of a moving road safety short film against texting while driving, directed by Mathieu Amalric

The cause of this "offensive" strategy? The worrying increase in road accident statistics, by + 13.6% in October, then by + 10.7% last November. Thus, even if the figures of the annual report are not yet official, the number of deaths on the roads in 2014 should increase from "100 to 150" compared to 2013, to settle at "3250", estimates the interministerial delegate to road safety, Jean-Robert Lopez.

A real snub for the government, whose goal of reaching "2,000 road deaths in 2020" seems difficult to sustain under these conditions. However, instead of thinking about the reasons for this failure and thinking about other ways than blind repression to achieve its ends, the government prefers to continue headlong in its all-out "coping" of the French road network..

"The figures are not up to expectations. We must therefore put the package," says Cazeneuve. Diantre: the package, downright! But what type is this package? Of the "gift package" type, such as prevention courses offered or a lowering of the VAT rate on motorcycle equipment? Or rather gray rectangular packets, equipped with a flash and connected to the automated infringement processing center in Rennes? We let you guess ! 

"Given the relaxation of certain behaviors, we must go further, do more quickly, hit harder", warns the Minister of the Interior, who wishes to apply "an action which leads to look at all the risks and, in the face of each risk, to develop relevant actions ".

The return of the limitation to 80 km / h

Among these relevant actions, the deployment of 200 "double-sided" radars and also this "good old" initiative to lower the speed on the secondary network from 90 to 80 km / h. Announced as an experiment in a few departments by his predecessor Manuel Valls, this ultra-contested limitation project resurfaces in the mouth of the Minister of the Interior …

However, Bernard Cazeneuve does not seem frankly excited by this measure, nor convinced by its genuine interest in terms of lives saved, estimated at "350 to 400 lives per year" according to certain experts including Philippe Lauwick, chairman of the commission responsible for examining the opportunity of lowering speeds on the secondary network without a central reservation.

"A road safety measure can only be properly applied if it is understood and accepted by the greatest number", Cazeneuve replies, thus implying that this reduction does not fall within this definition..

"A controversial measure will not achieve its goal," he said, referring to the many outcry raised among motorists and bikers during the presentation of this project.

But despite his skepticism and his desire to act like other causes of accidents like alcohol and drugs, the Home Secretary nevertheless admitted that lowering speed was indeed on the agenda. , on "one or two particularly accident-prone segments".

Without giving more details on the timetable for this approach and its possible extension to the entire secondary network, Bernard Cazeneuve then undertook to strengthen "awareness-raising actions against bad behavior", such as the use of the telephone in steering wheel, not wearing a seat belt and driving under narcotics.

In short, threats, a few promises and more and more toughening up, basically the same speech and the same methods as usual when the numbers are not good. With, potentially, the risk of seeing the accident curve remain on the same trend … 

"We must put the package"

2015 promises to be a delicate year for road users … Faced with criticism of the bad road safety figures in 2014, the government is reacting in its usual way: by promising in substance always more repression.

"I will present a very aggressive global plan in January which will touch on all subjects that may represent risks and increase the number of accidents, injuries and deaths", warned the Minister of the Interior Bernard Cazeneuve, in margin of the projection of a moving .

The cause of this "offensive" strategy? The worrying increase in road accident statistics, + 13.6% last, then + 10.7% the following month. Thus, even if the figures of the annual report are not yet official, the number of road deaths in 2014 should increase from "100 to 150" compared to 2013, estimates the interministerial delegate for road safety, Jean-Robert Lopez.

A real snub for the government, whose objective of reaching “2,000 road deaths in 2020” seems difficult to sustain under these conditions. However, instead of analyzing the reasons for this failure and thinking about other ways than blind repression to achieve its ends, the legislator prefers to continue headlong in his all-out "coping" of the French road network….

"The figures are not up to expectations. We must therefore put the package," says Cazeneuve. Diantre: the package, downright! But what type is this package? Of the "gift package" type such as prevention courses offered or a lowering of the VAT rate on motorcycle equipment? Or rather gray rectangular packets, equipped with a flash and connected to the automated infringement processing center in Rennes? We let you guess…

"Given the relaxation of certain behaviors, we must go further, do more quickly, hit harder", warns the Minister of the Interior, who wishes to apply "an action which leads to look at all the risks and, in the face of each risk, to develop relevant actions ".

The return of the limitation to 80 km / h

Among these actions deemed "relevant", the deployment of and also the return of this "good old" initiative to lower the speed from 90 to 80 km / h on the secondary network. Announced in the form ", this ultra-contested project resurfaces in the mouth of Minister of the Interior.

However, Bernard Cazeneuve does not seem frankly excited by this measure, nor convinced by its genuine interest in terms of lives saved, estimated at "350 to 400 lives per year" by certain experts appointed by the commission responsible for examining the advisability of ” a drop in speed on the secondary network.

"A road safety measure can only be well applied if it is understood and accepted by the greatest number", recalls Cazeneuve, implying therefore that this reduction does not fall within this definition….

"A controversial measure will not achieve its goal," he said, referring to the many outcry from motorists and bikers during the presentation of this project. But despite his skepticism and his declared desire to act on other causes of accidents such as alcohol and drugs, the minister admitted that lowering speed was indeed on the agenda, but only on "one or two particularly accident-prone segments".

Without giving more details on the timetable for this approach and its possible extension to the entire secondary network, Bernard Cazeneuve then undertook to strengthen "awareness-raising actions against bad behavior" such as the use of the telephone while driving. , not wearing a seat belt and driving under narcotics. 

Laudable initiatives, to which can also be added its intention to increase "prevention policies in schools", in particular around the recent reform of the driving license authorizing accompanied driving from the age of 15 years. Phew: a little prevention still finds its place in this new "very offensive" plan…

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