the situation in Ireland, Argentina and Ivory Coast

The number of road deaths increased by 6% in January in France. Road safety is also a source of concern in Ireland, Argentina and Ivory Coast. Explanations from our correspondents on site.

On February 15, 2024, road safety figures announced 240 deaths on French roads in January, an increase of 6%, compared to the same period in 2023. In Ireland, after several tragic accidents, the Road Safety Authority road safety is about to launch a major increase in safety campaigns. In Argentina, the number of victims is decreasing over time, but many factors continue to worry specialists. Finally, in Côte d’Ivoire, road safety has become one of the government’s priorities.

Alarming figures in Ireland

Since the start of 2024, there have already been 25 road deaths in Ireland, which represents one death every two days. The year 2023 was also a tragic year, with a total of 184 deaths on the roads, or 20% more than in 2022. Most of the fatal accidents involved young drivers.

All these figures raise some concern about the effectiveness of security campaigns in the country. The Road Safety Authority has therefore just been authorized to spend an additional 5 million euros, compared to its annual budget. But beyond awareness campaigns, harsher penalties for traffic offenses are being studied. A drastic revision of speed limits should also be put in place since on national roads, they would go from 100 to 80 km/h maximum, and on rural roads from 80 to 60 km/h.

Speed ​​and alcohol involved

A new bill in Ireland is currently being widely criticized. It aims to increase the opening hours of establishments that sell alcohol. However, when these opening hours are extended, in areas where there is little public transport, there are automatically more accidents linked to drunk driving.

The numbers prove it. In Ireland, more than a third of driver fatalities test positive for alcohol and almost three-quarters of these deaths occur on rural roads.

Conflicting figures in Argentina

From official sources and according to the latest report in 2022, there were 3,828 victims in Argentina that year. But there are other figures, notably those of the association, Let’s fight for life, which lists almost twice as many. More than 6,200 deaths on Argentina’s roads, or 17 people killed every day. According to statistics from the Road Safety Observatory, 76% of victims are men, especially aged 15 to 34, and more than half of the accidents are collisions between two vehicles on national and regional roads.

These results are primarily due to an infrastructure and management problem, since many roads are in very poor condition, with insufficient signage, poorly illuminated or too narrow. There is also the behavior of motorists, because, according to Let’s fight for life17% of them look at their cell phone while driving and 90% do not give priority to pedestrians.

However, 67% of Argentines consider themselves to be excellent drivers. An overestimation of their abilities is particularly dangerous when assuming risks and making decisions while driving.

A decentralized system

Each region is responsible for infrastructure, making Argentina a very uneven country in terms of road quality. The financing capacities are very different between them, which should deepen with President Milei who refuses to send money to the regions. However, the desire for change is there since in 2023 two thirds of the regions have, for example, adopted the law of zero alcohol while driving, including that of Buenos Aires where the most accidents are recorded.

Despite the falling numbers of victims, Argentina needs more education, awareness and political action to reduce road insecurity, the main cause of mortality.

In Ivory Coast, the government has an ambitious plan

In 2022, 1,614 people were killed on the roads, according to the Ministry of Transport, a figure largely underestimated according to civil society organizations. This country of 28 million inhabitants experiences a very high number of accidents, due both to incivility, but also to degraded roads or difficult working conditions for road professionals. The majority of victims are passengers of public transport minibuses.

Faced with this burning question, the government has developed an ambitious plan from 2020, firstly with the implementation in 2023 of a timely permit, inspired by the French model. Internships at 100,000 CFA francs, or 152 euros, a sum higher than the minimum wage in Ivory Coast, will also be set up to allow users to recover part of their point.

Installation of surveillance cameras

The authorities have installed more than 200 cameras on roads considered dangerous, mainly in Abidjan, but also within the country. If drivers do not pay, their vehicle may be immobilized and seized during a police check. Around twenty vans are equipped with a computer system, making it possible to find each driver’s file.

The system is also accompanied by a vast awareness campaign, since when the holiday periods come, the message “Stop incivility on the road” appears on all Ivorian television channels. Despite this, Côte d’Ivoire has experienced a very deadly start to the years on the roads. The scenes of popular jubilation in the streets, following the victories of the Elephants during the African Cup of Nations, caused the death of at least 45 people, killed in road accidents.