In Tunisia, road accidents have already cost the lives of more than 760 people between January and August 2025. This represents an increase of almost 9 % compared to 2024. Behind these figures, broken families, human dramas and an economic bill of 8,000 million dinars. Why do our roads continue to be among the deadliest?
Evolution in figures (2022–2025)
| Year | Accidents | Dead | Trends |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | ~ 5 670 | ~ 1 050 | Drop in deaths |
| 2023 | 5,572 | 1,188 | Fewer accidents but more dead |
| 2024 | ~ 5 510 | ~ 1 140 | Slight respite |
| 2025* (Jan – AOT) | +8.79 % vs 2024 | 761 (partial) | Dramatic trend |
*Data arrested on August 21, 2025.
Lives behind the figures
Beyond the statistics, each accident is a drama. The terrible accident occurred on July 30, on the Marsa motorway (Route Nationale 9), at the level of Sidi Daoud was so violent that witnesses on the spot melted in tears. The emergency services intervened quickly, but could only note the human and material damage.
These stories, invisible in official balance sheets, recall that the road crisis is not just a problem of figures but a Social and psychological wound which affects thousands of families each year.
The human factor: inattention, phones, speed
According to the road safety observatory, 40 % of accidents in 2025 are linked to inattention. This includes:
- Driving calls and messages,
- Fatigue on the return from work,
- Speeding and reckless.
Just January and August, 237 dead are directly attributed to this lack of vigilance.
“The first cause of accidents remains inattention and the phone while driving. »»
Speeding also constitutes the main cause of mortality, being responsible for almost 30-33 % of deaths on the roads.
Other causes of road accidents (in order of importance)
- Distraction and imprudence drivers
- Speeding
- Reckless pedestrian crossing
- Non-compliance with priority rules
- Road infrastructure failures
- Various offensessuch as the non-port of the belt of safety, driving under the influence of alcohol or dangerous overtaking
- Low of road controls and insufficient application of laws
The hidden cost of accidents
Tunisian roads kill, but they also ruin. Each year, economic losses related to accidents are estimated to 8,000 million dinarseither 5.6 % of national GDP.
This includes:
- Medical and hospital costs,
- Productivity losses,
- Material damage and infrastructure.
In comparison, it’s more than The annual health budget.
What to do? The failure of prevention policies
For ten years, awareness campaigns have followed one another, but the results remain limited. Experts point:
- Lack of road maintenance,
- Insufficient controls,
- The absence of pedagogy in the training of drivers.
In summary:
- In 2025Tunisia has already recorded 761 Dead On the roads (Jan – AOT), up 9 % compared to 2024.
- The disturbing trend had started in 2023 : fewer accidents but no more dead.
- Inattention remains the first cause (40 % of cases).
- Annual economic losses amount to 8,000 million dinars.
- Bereaved families and experts ask for a structural reform and no longer occasional measures.
