In 2024, the number of people killed or seriously injured on Paris intra-muros roads fell by 27 from 2023, reaching 433 victims. This decline is linked to reduced car traffic, but pedestrians and cyclists remain particularly exposed. A City of Paris report, published on October 15, highlights these trends amid a tribute to a cyclist killed a year earlier.
The road safety report, based on figures from the National Interministerial Observatory of Road Safety (ONISR), shows that 433 people were killed or seriously injured in intra-muros Paris in 2024, 27 fewer than in 2023. This decrease aligns with regional trends, with 263 deaths in Île-de-France, five fewer than the previous year.
David Belliard, deputy for transport and Green candidate for Paris mayor, credits this to the policy reducing car traffic by 40% over ten years. "The general downward trend in the capital is directly linked to our policy of reducing car traffic," he told AFP.
Even so, pedestrians account for 23% of victims (up from 19% in 2023), with 148 killed or seriously injured. Cyclists, making up 22% of those in accidents, saw overall victims drop by more than 7%, but killed or hospitalized rose to 69, eight more. Motorized two-wheeler drivers remain most vulnerable at 31%, with 159 victims in decline.
Belliard notes accident stability for pedestrians and cyclists despite booming soft mobility, thanks to developments like 300 child streets and over 1,500 km of bike lanes. Yet Nelly Garnier (Republicans) criticizes the city for poorly separating uses, saying pedestrians—everyone's mode at some point—were overlooked, leading to "daily anxiety-inducing accidents."
First deputy Patrick Bloche counters that the city widened over 3 hectares of sidewalks, removed hundreds of parking spots, and issued nearly 5,000 tickets for sidewalk driving. By end-2025, at least 60 of the 200 most dangerous intersections will be redeveloped.
This assessment comes a year after Paul Varry, a 27-year-old cyclist, was crushed by an SUV on a bike lane. A tribute gathering occurred on October 15 at Place de la Madeleine. Varry's association, Paris en selle, demands a plan against motorized violence, noting nine in ten cyclists are victims in Paris. Spokesperson Marion Soulet describes a "strong climate of aggressiveness." Road safety launched a campaign with a "Priority to Respect" sticker.