Tunisian roads have made 663 victims since the beginning of 2025, according to the National Observatory for Road Safety. A disturbing increase in mortality, despite a drop in the number of accidents and injured.
Between January 1 and July 29, 2025, 663 people lost their lives on Tunisian roads, an increase of 6.8% compared to the same period in 2024. This is what the last report of theNational Road Safety Observatory.
The number of accidents down
Paradoxically, the total number of accidents is decreasing: 2,863 cases identified against 3428 in 2024. Likewise, the number of injured decreased, from 4,623 to 3781, a drop of 18.2%.
Inattention and steering wheel distraction lead the causes of accidents (40.3%), followed by excessive speed, non-compliance with priorities and dangerous management changes.
The record in Sfax
Tunis is the most affected governorate in number of accidents (369) and wounded (423), while Sfax holds the sad record for the greatest number of deaths (72). Mahdia, for its part, is second in number of accidents (225) and injured (302).
The month of January has experienced the greatest number of accidents (470), while Arilla proved to be the deadliest with 105 deaths and 596 injured. These data confirm the need to strengthen prevention campaigns and road controls.
Revision of sanctions
The Minister of the Interior, Khaled Nouri, presented a joint national road safety plan a few days ago aimed at reducing road accidents by 50% by 2034. This plan, unveiled during a session at the National Council of Regions and Districts, will be implemented in three stages: -10% by 2027, -25% by 2030, then -50% by the horizon 2034.
The strategy is based on the treatment of the main causes of accidents, a legislative reform, and a more rigorous application of laws. It also provides targeted field campaigns, expanding the radar network, systems digitization and in -depth analysis of statistical data.
Zero tolerance arrives
The Ministry of the Interior also announced a hardening of the highway code with the automatic removal of the license in the event of speeding or red lights crossed. The text awaits the approval of the Parliament.
This new road safety bill, drawn up in coordination with the ministries of transport and equipment provides for more severe sanctions, in particular the automatic withdrawal of driving license in the following cases:
- 1 month of withdrawal from 10 km/h of exceeding compared to the authorized speed,
- 2 months from 20 km/h,
- 3 months beyond 30 km/h,
- Red light crossing: automatic license withdrawal
This new legal framework is part of a broader strategy to combat road insecurity in Tunisia, where road accidents remain one of the main causes of mortality.
To support this reform, article 100 of the Highway Code will be modified in order to authorize the observation of offenses via surveillance cameras and other modern technologies.
In parallel, the Ministry of the Interior works with the National Observatory for Road Safety on awareness campaigns, in particular targeting young drivers, too often involved in speeding or driving in a state of drunkenness.
