Albert Camus died in an automobile accident. So did Lady Di.

French drivers have some bad habits: they drive too fast, and they drive after drinking.

But the trends are positive. Overall, French road safety is improving:

  • For each of the past seven years, fatalities and injuries have decreased;
  • Since 2002, deaths from automobile accidents have fallen 55% (the reduction is smaller for motorcyclists);
  • France’s relative standing among its European neighbors has improved, when measured by fatalities per million inhabitants (France ranked 15th in 2001 and 9th out of 27 in 2007);
  • Since, 2002, average vehicle speed in France has fallen by 11 km/hr (to 80.6 km/hr, or 50 mph);
  • Seat belt use in France nears 100%;
  • In six years, 12,000 lives have been saved or spared, thanks to accidents that didn’t occur (graph from the French 2008 road safety report).

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This last point has become the focus of a new safety campaign in France.

Historically, the French authorities have taken a “shock and awe” approach, simulating accidents with strong visuals. These campaigns have been eye-catching and effective, but some recent campaigns leave the accident off-screen. In this video, the viewer never sees an accident, but instead witnesses the impact of “the call”, when a next of kin is informed of a fatality:

The latest safety campaign takes a different approach. It shows ordinary people, doing ordinary things: Jean-Pierre is waving; Elodie is starting a puzzle; Caroline is looking for something; Michel is taking a second helping of pasta. What makes each of these unremarkable people exceptional?  They are among the 12,000 whose lives have been saved thanks to accidents avoided.

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The campaign is brilliant. A prominent photo that illustrates a headline; a few lines of text that explain why the image matters; a call to continue (or to “keep going”). A style totally unlike prior “shock and awe” campaigns. The whole point of the campaign is that an accident hasn’t occurred. The sight of Jean-Michel literally stopped me in my tracks; I had to learn more.

The campaign is also timely. French motorists will soon leave on summer vacation. Some will be tempted to drive too fast or after drinking. The authorities are also starting to feel pushback from motorists, upset about being pulled over and fined for “minor” infractions. Particularly bad or unfortunate drivers can ultimately lose their licenses, for a time, and face higher insurance premiums. By putting a face on accidents avoided, the authorities are taking a different approach.