Improving Road Safety
in the OIC Member States
117
fatalities in Morocco to be closer to 5,700 in 2010 and 6,870 in 2013, implying that nearly half
of the estimated number of actual traffic fatalities is not recorded in the current system. Using
these WHO estimates, a mortality rate of 18 (2010) and 20,8 (2013) deaths/100,000 population
has been calculated. Although this is lower than the average for the eastern Mediterranean
region, it is significantly higher than that of countries in for instance the European region
(generally less than 10/100,000). However, assuming that the registered numbers reported by
the Moroccan authorities are 100% correct then the mortality rate would be between 12 and 13
traffic fatalities/100,000 population.
The largest proportion of crash fatalities are occupants of cars and light vehicles (37%) followed
by pedestrians (27%) and riders of motorised two and three wheelers (20%). The majority of
fatalities and seriously injured victims occur on rural roads (upward of 70%). More than 80%
of the victims are males.
Registered fatalities and injuries, historical development
Over the period 2003 – 2012 registered road crashes increased from 53,814 to 67,151, an
increase of 25% (Ministere de L'Equipement et du Transport, 2012). Over the same period the
number of fatalities has increased from 3,878 to 4167, an increase of 7.5%. In 2013 the number
declined to 3832. The number of fatalities is not constant and the trend reveals fluctuations with
sudden decreases in certain years (e.g. 2005; 2010 and 2013) followed by increases in following
years . However, the overall crashes reveal a relatively constant increase of 1.5- 2%
per year.
Figure 16: Development of police reported traffic fatalities in Morocco
Source: Ministere de L'Equipement et du Transport, 2012
The trend in the number of registered injuries in Morocco reveals a similar trend with the
number increasing from 84522 in 2003 to 102350 in 2012 (Ministère de l’Equipement et du
Transport, 2013), an increase of 21%. As with fatalities the trend is upward with little indication
of reversal.