Skip to main content

Morocco faces increasing road safety crisis

Road safety levels continue to deteriorate in Morocco, despite a series of policies introduced by the government and a tougher process of enforcement. The country has a human population of 32 million, along with 2.7 million registered vehicles and last year saw 15,000 people severely injured in road accidents, leaving them with long term disabilities.
August 8, 2012 Read time: 1 min
Road safety levels continue to deteriorate in Morocco, despite a series of policies introduced by the government and a tougher process of enforcement. The country has a human population of 32 million, along with 2.7 million registered vehicles and last year saw 15,000 people severely injured in road accidents, leaving them with long term disabilities. The Moroccan Government has been working on improving road safety but the growing vehicle population is providing a severe test, with casualties continuing to climb. The country introduced its new highway code in 2010, as part of the 10-year road safety plan that commenced in 2004. The aim of the 2004 road safety policy was to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries by 5%/year. The fatal accident rate has risen 50% since 1996 when there were 2,807 road deaths. The probability of getting killed in a road accident has risen from 5.77% in 2010 to 6.29% in 2011. With 1,508 deaths in 2011, cars are in first place in terms of user category. This is followed by pedestrians (1,141), motorbikes (923) and trucks (255).

Related Content

  • IRF Geneva takes centre stage at the 1st Africa Road Safety Forum
    January 15, 2019
    Africa has 2% of the world’s cars but 16% of the world’s road deaths, and more than 300,000 people lose their lives in road traffic crashes in the region every year, while thousands more are injured. Against this background the 1st Africa Road Safety Forum was organised in Marrakech, Morocco on 13-15 November. The event had the support of IRF (Geneva) and provided an opportunity to present the newly created IRF Global Road Data Warehouse and to mark the establishment of an IRF Africa. The event was placed
  • Giving four hours back to the day… and much more
    October 7, 2019
    A 20km long elevated expressway in Dhaka will be one of Bangladesh’s first Public Private Partnership transport projects – words and pictures by Ruby Kitching, on behalf of Mott MacDonald.
  • US road safety challenge to tackle fatalities
    July 26, 2017
    Rising traffic fatalities and the challenges of driverless cars were the focus of recent hearing of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit in the US. Nearly 35,100 people were killed on US roadways in 2015, a 7.2% spike in traffic fatalities from the previous year. This was rather worryingly, largest single year percent increase in 50 years, according to testimony at the hearing. Officials said preliminary numbers appear to show that roadway fatalities increased further in 2016. “In addition to the
  • ARTBA presents transport safety awards
    October 1, 2015
    The American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF) has presented awards to five separate industry initiatives. These were highlighted for commitment to promoting safety during the association’s 17th annual Roadway Work Zone Safety Awareness Awards held recently at a luncheon during ARTBA’s National Convention in Philadelphia. The competition recognises outstanding programmes, campaigns and technologies aimed at helping reduce roadway work zone a