Statistics: what is the profile of the drivers who have the most accidents?

Statistics: what is the profile of the drivers who have the most accidents?


Each year, the National Interministerial Road Safety Observatory publishes a report on road accidents. The latest report dates back to 2018, although some initial figures give an indication of the trend on the roads in 2019. In these reports, the typical profile of the injured motorist emerges quite clearly. Which drivers are most involved in road accidents? The answer in numbers.
Road accidents in France: the figures
According to the 2018 report on road accidents, published by the National Interministerial Observatory for Road Safety, the vast majority of fatal accidents are concentrated in metropolitan France (93.1%).
Breakdown of victims by means of transport
The passenger vehicle is the mode of transport most involved in road accidents and totals the most people killed or injured.
Means of transport Breakdown of people killed Breakdown of people injured
Passenger vehicle 50% 46%
Motorized two-wheelers 23% 28%
Pedestrians 15% 14%
Cycling 5% 6%
Commercial vehicle 3% 3%
Other 4% 3%
Breakdown of victims by gender
According to 2018 figures, the proportion of men among those killed is three times higher than that of women of any age. Male mortality is 85%, of which 79% are drivers of the accident vehicle. If women represent "only" 15% of drivers killed, they nevertheless constitute half of the passengers killed.
Breakdown of accidents by age
In 2018, 19% of motorists who were victims of fatal accidents were between 18 and 24 years old. Although the figure is down 41% compared to 2010, it remains high. The same is true for older people over 65, who account for 28% of road deaths. However, those most affected by car accidents remain the 25-64 age group.
Breakdown of fatalities by type of accident
Car accidents without a third party account for half of fatal car accidents, i.e. only one vehicle is involved in an accident. Nearly 22% of fatal car accidents involve two passenger vehicles, while 12.1% of them involve a passenger vehicle and a heavy goods vehicle.
Conclusion: the typical profile of the motorist involved in an accident is a man between 25 and 64 years old, driving a passenger vehicle.
Read also: Driver profile: what influence on insurance?

Road accident: not only the fault of the driver
If the previous statistics point the finger at certain types of driver, this does not mean that all the drivers concerned by these figures are bad drivers. Other external elements come into play and can cause road accidents. Indeed, meteorological causes can increase the risk of accidents. You must remain vigilant in the event of rain, ice, fog, snow, etc. Moreover, among other causes of road accidents, technical problems of vehicles can also influence the figures. The obligation of the technical control intervenes here to limit these accidents. Finally, the state of infrastructure also plays a role in road accidents. All motorists are therefore not to blame.
Road accidents in France in 2019: where are we?
If the final figures are known at the end of May, the National Interministerial Observatory for Road Safety unveiled at the end of January, the first estimates of road accident data in France in 2019. In mainland France, mortality on the roads is down from 2018, by 0.3%. In contrast, in Overseas France, mortality increased by 5.8%. Nationally, this increases road fatalities by 0.1%. However, between 2010 and 2019, the trend is downward since there are nearly 18.9% fewer deaths on the roads. In addition to fatal accidents, injury accidents fell by 0.6% compared to 2018 and there was a slight increase of 0.1% in road injuries. The final results should be known in the coming weeks. In the meantime, stay alert on the road!