Rabat – Between the start of the nationwide lockdown on March 20 and May 3, Moroccan security services recorded a 76.49% decrease in the number of road accidents compared to the same period in 2019.
The number of mild injuries related to road accidents decreased by 78.29%, severe injuries by 76.54%, and road fatalities by 66.34%, a statement from Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) revealed.
Since the start of the lockdown, Moroccan police have recorded a total of 2,073 road accidents across the country that led to 35 deaths, 106 severe injuries, and 2,496 mild injuries.
During the same period in 2019, Moroccan authorities registered 8,818 traffic accidents, causing 104 deaths, 452 severe injuries, and 11,498 mild injuries.
“National security services continue to strengthen their security checkpoints in all Moroccan cities and the different patrol units to guarantee the safety and security of citizens,” DGSN concluded.
The decline in figures is primarily due to restrictions on movement during the country’s state of emergency, as well as the suspension of several economic activities that require driving.
Over the last decade, around 3,500 people lost their lives and 12,000 sustained severe injuries in road accidents in Morocco each year. On average, the country recorded 10 deaths and 33 serious injuries per day.
According to the newly-released figures, Morocco recorded only 0.77 road fatalities and 2.35 severe injuries on average per day since the start of the lockdown. The numbers are more than 10 times lower than the daily average over the past decade.
Albeit temporary, the decreased number of accidents is pushing Morocco closer to its road safety objective of recording less than 1,900 yearly traffic accident deaths by 2026.
In 2017, the Moroccan government launched a road safety strategy aiming to reduce road fatalities.
To reach the 2026 objective, the government is planning to integrate road safety education in schools and integrate available technology. It is also mobilizing the necessary financial resources to maintain existing roads and build new ones, providing basic infrastructure for the safe use of roads.
