Rabat – Morocco recorded 82 fatal road accidents in April that led to the death of 85 pedestrians, drivers, and passengers, a press release from the Ministry of Equipment and Transport revealed on June 1.
The number of fatal accidents decreased by 58.38% compared to the same month in 2019, while the number of deaths fell by 64.73%.
According to the ministry’s numbers, the majority of road accident indicators witnessed a significant decline between April 2019 and April 2020.
The number of road accidents resulting in injuries reached 2,165 in April, decreasing by 72.33% over one year. Meanwhile, the number of people who sustained severe injuries due to traffic accidents stood at 171, showing a 71.64% annual decline.
The majority of road accident victims are pedestrians and users of two- and three-wheeled vehicles, whom the Ministry of Transport qualifies as “vulnerable road users.” This category represents 81% of people who died due to traffic accidents in April, followed by the users of light passenger vehicles who represent 12% of road fatalities.
The categories mentioned in the ministry’s press release, which account for approximately 93% of deaths due to road accidents, recorded significant decreases between April 2019 and April 2020—a 48.08% decrease for pedestrians, 43.24% for users of two- and three-wheeled vehicles, and 89.69% for users of light passenger vehicles.
At the regional level, all Moroccan regions recorded a decrease in the number of road accidents between April 2019 and April 2020. The decline ranges from 14.29% in the southern region of Dakhla-Oued Ed Dahab to 77.78% in the Marrakech-Safi region.
As for fatalities caused by road accidents, 10 regions out of 12 recorded an annual decrease, varying between 42.86% in Draa-Tafilalet and 88.86% in Beni Mellal-Khenifra.
According to the Ministry of Transport, the drop in road accident indicators is mainly due to the implementation of the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown. The lockdown, enforced on March 20, led to a significant reduction in the movement of citizens and the use of road vehicles.
Between March 20 and April 12, the first three weeks of Morocco’s lockdown, the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) recorded an 81.05% decrease in all injuries related to road accidents, a 79.12% decline in severe injuries, and a 65.52% drop in road accident fatalities compared to the same period in 2019.
