Former French president, Jacques Chirac, dies

The news that former French president, Jacques Chirac, has died aged 86 should be of note for those in the road safety sector. His political legacy is well known. Chirac was prime minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and again from 1986 to 1988, mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995 and finally president from 1995 to 2007. But his political reputation ended under a cloud following his suspended sentence on corruption charges. Perhaps less well widely known however is that Chirac had a tremendously beneficial e
September 26, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
The news that former French president, Jacques Chirac, has died aged 86 should be of note for those in the road safety sector.


His political legacy is well known. Chirac was prime minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and again from 1986 to 1988, mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995 and finally president from 1995 to 2007. But his political reputation ended under a cloud following his suspended sentence on corruption charges.

Perhaps less well widely known however is that Chirac had a tremendously beneficial effect on road safety in France. Chirac was injured in a road crash in 1978 and that inspired him to institute a tough line on enforcement of laws against drinking and driving and speeding in particular. French laws had previously been lax on these, with the result that the country’s annual road casualty rate was shockingly high. Chirac’s tough line on road safety started in 2002, resulting in the French police cracking down hard on drinking and driving and speeding. The result was that France’s annual road casualty rate fell dramatically and has remained much lower ever since.

It is worth noting that that there are many French people today living healthy lives, who perhaps would not have been but for Chirac’s actions. No other European politician has ever saved so many people from death or injury on the roads. Perhaps this was not the legacy Chirac set out to achieve when he entered politics, but it is one that deserves much credit.

Related Content

  • Police said to be considering pursuing landmark corporate manslaughter charge against highways authority
    April 19, 2012
    The Metropolitan Police in London, England is reported to be considering the option of pursuing the first ever corporate manslaughter charge against a highways authority. Twenty-four-year-old cyclist Deep Lee was killed in a collision with a lorry at the junction of Pentonville Road and York Way in King’s Cross last October. An independent consultants’ report on pedestrian safety in 2008 had warned the capital’s highways authority, Transport for London (TfL), that the junction at York Way needed prope
    Read More
  • Tackling congestion – with tough decisions
    July 8, 2016
    As editor of World Highways, information is provided on a great deal of revolutionary new traffic technology. Some of these new innovations offer major advantages in cutting congestion; smart systems that can regulate traffic flow or reduce risks for commuters. But it is worth remembering too that some of the solutions to urban transportation, as well as cutting urban pollution, have been around for a very long time. The humble bicycle is a highly efficient machine for transportation over comparatively shor
    Read More
  • Thailand’s high rate of road injuries
    May 8, 2019
    Thailand’s high rate of crashes is having a serious draining effect on the country’s productivity and economic activity. According to data from the National Institute for Emergency Medicine (NIEM), injuries from road crashes are the biggest cause of health issues amongst people of prime working age (from 20-60). In the last 12 months 148,377 males and 80,163 females in the 20-60 age range suffered injuries from road crashes
    Read More
  • Initiative to Include Road Safety in Sustainable Development Goals
    September 15, 2015
    Road safety is a key issue for sustainable development targets. During the Rio+20 Conference in 2012, it was agreed by member States to launch a process to develop a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to build on the Millennium Development Goals and converge with the post-2015 development agenda. Over the past six months, IRF Geneva has undertaken a sustained campaign to ensure that road safety is included in the SDGs. As part of this, Kiran K Kapila, chairman, IRF Geneva, has reached out, amon
    Read More

Highlighted Content