Number of invalid driver's licenses up 10%

The reduction in the number of road traffic offenses detected by radar and the police is spectacular. 19.7 million offenses were recorded last year against 24 million in 2017, an 18% drop. This is the balance sheet released on Wednesday by the National Interministerial Observatory of Road Safety (ONISR).

According to road safety, this is a decrease "mechanical" who, she says, in her release "Is mainly explained by the massive degradation suffered by the radars at the end of 2018. " These control devices were targeted after the 80 km / ha replaced the 90km / h on part of the secondary network on July 1, 2018. These acts of vandalism continued with the movement of "yellow vests", which has started on November 17, 2018.

The number of speeding tickets multiplied by four

With hundreds of radars out of service, the number of motorists flashed has decreased. Thus, 13.6 million speed violations were recorded in 2018 by the automated control against 16.6 million in 2017, a decrease of 17.6%. But unable to produce offense messages, these vandalized radars nevertheless continued to record vehicle speeds. And these took off. The number of speeding tickets has quadrupled in these areas.

In general, road safety warns about the persistence of a general deterioration in driving behavior. As proof, road crime, which is the most serious crime, is up 5.9% in 2018 (629,601 crimes). "The phenomenon is all the more worrying because this is the fourth consecutive year of growth", says one. On the list of these increases, we find refusals to obey and obstacles to traffic. These offenses jumped 36.3% (38,087 offenses last year).

Vehicle driving after narcotics use (or refusal to submit to control) also increases by 29% (63,369 offenses reported in 2018, or 10.1% of all crimes). However, this increase is linked to a greater number of controls, thanks to the generalization over the last 3 years of a new, easier to use screening method. As for the offenses of escape after an accident, the latter increase of + 1.3%. In constant increase since 2012, these offenses amounted to 174,422 in 2018.

4.9 million points removed

This balance sheet also indicates that 14.9 million points were withdrawn in 2018 (-1.9%). These withdrawals are notably divided between speeding (9,909,451 points withdrawn, ie -6%) and crossing red lights (1,417,064 points, ie + 4.1%). Motorists also lost points for a hand-held phone (1,046,176 points, or + 11.1%).

Last year, 67,963 driver's licenses were invalidated for zero points, an increase of 10% compared to 2017. "The previous five years, the trend was downward."

By brewing all the figures available to it, Road Safety draws the typical profile of the alleged perpetrator: "It is most often a man (83%), having less than 12 points on his license in half of the cases, and at least a criminal record in 42% of cases, under the influence of the alcohol (21%) and speed (29%). "

Good news all the same: 78% of drivers had last year their capital of 12 points.