In Paris, the road is safer, but pedestrians and cyclists remain vulnerable

These figures come a year after the death of 27-year-old Paul Varry, who was crushed on his bicycle by an SUV following an altercation. Several hundred cyclists gathered that evening in Place de la Madeleine, near the site of the accident, to pay tribute to the young man and denounce the "motorized violence" that this tragedy has brought to light.

In 2024, 433 people were killed or seriously injured on the road in Paris proper, mainly by motor vehicles, 27 fewer than in 2023, according to road safety figures published by the city hall.

Over the same period, the Ile-de-France region also shows, to a lesser extent, a decrease in the number of deaths (263 deaths, five fewer).

"The general downward trend in the capital is directly linked to our policy of reducing car traffic," which has fallen by 40% in ten years, David Belliard, deputy to Socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo in charge of Transport, told AFP.

The low point in this report: pedestrians, who represent 23% of traffic victims (compared to 19% in 2023), with 148 killed or seriously injured, 22 more with four fewer deaths.

The road remains dangerous for cyclists as well, who represent 22% of those involved in accidents. And while the overall number of cycling victims has decreased by more than 7%, the number of fatalities and hospitalizations has increased (69 in total, eight more than last year), according to the Road Safety Authority.

David Belliard, also a Green Party candidate for mayor of Paris, points out that the number of accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists "has remained generally stable even though the use of these forms of active transportation has exploded." In his view, this is a sign that efforts to make pedestrian areas safer, such as the 300 "children's streets" initiative, and the development of cycle paths (more than 1.500 km of them now in operation), have paid off.

"Zero deaths, zero serious injuries"

But for the LR opposition councilor Nelly Garnier, "the municipality considered that there were cars on one side and soft mobility on the other, without properly separating the different uses".

"100% of Parisians walk at some point during their day, and yet it's the mode of transport that has been least considered," says this advisor from Rachida Dati's group. The result: "a small but anxiety-inducing daily number of accidents that discourages the most vulnerable from leaving their homes," the elected official laments.

Following the death of Paul Varry, the city council and the police prefecture launched an initiative to improve bicycle safety. A promise was made to cycling associations to improve safety at around sixty of the 200 most dangerous intersections in the capital by the end of 2025.

"We are eagerly awaiting them," said Anne Monmarché, president of Paris en selle, during the tribute to Paul Varry, which was attended by several elected officials including David Belliard and the socialist candidate for the municipal elections, Emmanuel Grégoire.

"We are asking candidates to commit to a policy of 'zero deaths, zero serious injuries'? In Paris it is possible," she declared.

The associations also called for an "action plan against motorized violence," of which 9 out of 10 cyclists say they are victims in Paris (the second most affected city after Marseille), according to the French Federation of Bicycle Users (FUB). This finding reflects a "strong climate of aggression," according to Paris en Selle.

"We are still faced with this law of the strongest where the motorist can put pressure on the cyclist, who can himself sometimes put pressure on the pedestrian," testified Alexis Frémeaux, president of the association Mieux se déplacer à Paris.