Sécurité routière : 7 532 accidents, 850 morts et plus de 12 000 blessés en 2025
Road safety remains one of the major public safety challenges in Senegal. Statistics published by the National Gendarmerie for the year 2025, released on Thursday, February 12, 2026, reveal a worrying situation, marked by an increase in accidents and heavy loss of life. A total of 7,532 traffic accidents were recorded in 2025. Of these, 83% resulted in injuries, causing 12,654 injuries and 850 deaths. "These figures reflect the scale of the problem and confirm the persistence of risks on Senegalese roads, despite the strengthening of control and prevention measures," declared Lieutenant Abdoulaye Camara, Head of the Gendarmerie's Operations and Intelligence Center, during his presentation at the ceremony for the presentation of the Gendarmerie's 2025 report.
According to him, periodic analysis of accidents shows that October and December were the months with the highest accident rates. This trend is mainly explained by the increase in road traffic related to school holidays, family travel, and end-of-year festivities. Indeed, geographically, the Dakar region alone accounts for 45.29% of the accidents recorded nationwide. "This high concentration is explained in particular by the density of urban traffic, the volume of daily commutes, and the heavy traffic on major roads, especially the toll highway and the main access roads to the capital," the lieutenant said.
He adds that "the study of the causes of accidents highlights the predominance of the human factor, responsible for 96% of road accidents. Failure to comply with the Highway Code, speeding, recklessness, fatigue and sometimes driving under the influence of alcohol are among the main causes identified."
He went on to say that these factors are compounded by elements related to the condition of the vehicle fleet. The age of some vehicles, particularly in public transportation, as well as poor tire quality, contribute significantly to road safety issues. These mechanical failures increase the risk of accidents, especially on intercity journeys.
Faced with this situation, the National Gendarmerie is continuing to implement its road safety strategy, based on three main pillars: enforcement, awareness, and penalties. This strategy is part of the measures adopted by the authorities to reduce accidents and improve road user safety. "The efforts undertaken have notably led to intensified roadside checks across the country, with nearly three million vehicles inspected and several thousand violations recorded during the year," explains the gendarme.
Despite these actions, the upward trend in accidents underscores the need to further strengthen prevention measures, but also to promote a lasting change in road user behavior. For safety authorities, improving road safety depends as much on increased enforcement as on making drivers more responsible.
In this context, the modernization of surveillance systems and the gradual introduction of smart technologies should be important levers in the fight against road insecurity in the years to come.
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