Tunisia: Number of fatal road accidents up sharply
Source: Middle East Insurance Review | Aug 2023
The number of deaths on Tunisian roads recorded an increase of more than 29% in the first six months of 2023, compared to the same period in 2022.
According to figures revealed by the National Observatory of Road Safety (ONSR), the number of deaths in road accidents reached 548 from January to June 2023, against 422 during the same half in 2022, a period excluding the usual peak months of road accidents which are July and August, the busy tourist season.
The total number of accidents in the country meanwhile fell by 6.5% to 2,546 in 1H2023 compared to 2,723 in 1H2022.
The more frequent use of smartphones while driving is not the only cause of accidents. Lack of attention is the main cause of accidents in Tunisia (accounting for 42% of fatal accidents), according to the insurance expert Ismail Youmbai. This is followed by speeding (more than 15%), failure to adhere to the right of way (more than 8%) and failure to drive on the right lane off motorways (more than 6%).
Other causes are failure to observe road signs, driving while intoxicated, and reckless overtaking, according to the ONSR.
Mr Youmbai said that while there is a gradual renewal of the car population toward safer vehicles, improvements to the road infrastructure in Tunisia are taking place at a slower rate. M