Road Safety Country Profiles
Morocco 2023

Overview
Morocco recorded 3 499 road deaths in 2022, a 5% decrease compared to 2021. Vulnerable road
users represent almost three-quarters of all deaths. The increase in the number of motorcyclists
killed is a growing concern.
Note that the data in this country profile come from the National Road Safety Agency (NARSA);IRTAD has yet to validate them.
Quick facts: Morocco (all data from 2022, unless otherwise stated)
Population

36.7 million

GDP per capita

USD 3 659

Total numberof motor
vehicles

6.3 million
Cars

Motorcycles

Goods vehicles

Buses

45%

36%

17%

0.2%

Urban roads

Rural roads

Motorways

Speed limits

60 km/h (30 in residential
areas)

70-80-90-1000 km/h

120 km/h

Limits on blood
alcohol content

General drivers

Professional drivers

Novice drivers

0.2 grams/litre (g/l)

0.2 g/l

0.2 g/l

3 499Road fatalities

Pedestrians

Cyclists

Car occupants

Motorised twowheelers

Other
unknown

25%

5%

23%

40%

6%

Road fatalities
per 100 000
population

9.5

Road fatalities
per 10 000
vehicles5.6

Cost of roadcrashes

1.2% of GDP (2020)

andShort-term trends
Mobility and road safety in Morocco were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic that hit the worldin 2020. Figure 1 illustrates the number of road deaths in 2020, 2021 and 2022 compared to thelinear trend before the pandemic. It shows that road death figures for 2020 were very much below
the trend.

Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on mobility and road crashes, the data for 2020 and
2021 represent a poor reference point for benchmarking. Therefore, for short-term trends, thisreport compares data for 2022 with the average for 2017-19.
Morocco recorded 3 499 road deaths in 2022, a 5.3% decrease compared to the average for 201719.
Table 1. Road fatalities in Morocco, 2017-2022
2017

2018

2019

Average2017-19

2020

2021

2022

2022 compared withaverage 2017-19

January

287

263

308

286

272

236

309

8.0%

February

212

259

273

248

252

238

220

-11.3%

March

276

311

295

294

192

262

237

-19.4%

April

265

204

256

242

93

229

215

-11.0%

May

245

247

255

249

143

316

322

29.3%

June

316

348

335

333

200

305

255

-23.4%

July

408

338

330

359

340

399

397

10.7%

August

405

477

425

436

309

360

403

-7.5%

September

385

304

310

333

311

359

251

-24.6%

October

357

334

274

322

336

350

307

-4.6%

November

311

280

273

288

327

299

285

-1.0%

December

259

371

288

306

230

332

298

-2.6%

3 726

3 736

3 622

3 695

3 005

3 685

3 499

-5.3%

Total

Road deaths decreased for all road users except those of powered two- or three-wheelers (PTW).
Between 2017 and 2022, registered motorised two-wheelers increased by 76%. The number of
PTW users killed in traffic increased by 26.9% (from 1 102 in 2017-19 to 1 398 in 2022), while thenumber of car occupants killed decreased by 27.8%, the number of pedestrians killed by 12.6%
and the number of cyclists killed by 11.2% (Figure 2).
Road deaths increased markedly on urban roads (+19.3%), decreased by 20.1% on rural roads,
and decreased by 16.1% on motorways (Figure 2).
In 2022, Morocco had a mortality rate of 9.5 road deaths per 100 000 population, slightly lower
than in 2021, when it was at 10.1 (Figure 3). In 2022, the fatality risk was 5.6 road deaths per 10 000
registered motor vehicles (Figure 4).
In 2022, powered two-wheeler users represented the largest share (40%) of road deaths, followedby pedestrians (25%) (Figure 5). Together, vulnerable road users account for more than 70% of
all road deaths.
Road deaths were equally spread between urban and non-urban areas (see Figure 6).

The age groups the most at risk in traffic were people aged 75 and above, with a mortality rate of
17.2 deaths per 100 000 population. Older people are particularly vulnerable as pedestrians(Figure 7).
Figure 1. Road fatalities in Morocco in 2020, 2021 and 2022 compared to the linear trend
since 2012
4 200

3 900

3 685
3 600
3 499
3 300

3 000

3 005
2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Road deaths

2017

2018

2019

Trends 2012-2022

2020

2021

2022

Norw ay0

Colombia

Costa Rica

United States

Chile

MoroccoAge group

Argentina

SerbiaNew Zealand

GreecePortugal

Luxembourg

Hungary

Italy

Korea

PolandCzechia

FranceCanadaUser category

Belgium

Lithuania

Australia

Netherlands

Austria

Slovenia

Spain

IsraelFinlandGermany

Ireland

Sw itzerland

United Kingdom

DenmarkJapan

Iceland

Sw eden

Motorw ays

Rural roads

Urban roads

75+

65-74

25-64

21-24

18-20

15-17

0-14

PTW

Passenger cars

Cyclists

Pedestrians

Figure 2. Evolution of road fatalities in Morocco by user category, age group and roadtype, 2022 compared to the average for 2017-19

20

0

-20

Road type

Total number of road deaths

Figure 3. Road fatalities per 100 000 inhabitants in Morocco compared to other IRTAD
countries, 2022
16

12
9.5

8

4

Iceland

0

6MoroccoColombia

Chile

Costa Rica*

SerbiaArgentina

United States*

Hungary

New Zealand

Korea

IsraelGreece*Belgium

Luxembourg

Canada*FrancePoland*Czechia

Lithuania

Netherlands

Italy

Australia

Slovenia

Austria

Spain

Germany

Denmark

United Kingdom

Finland

Sw itzerland

Japan

Sw edenNorw ay

Figure 4. Road fatalities per 10 000 registered vehicles in Morocco compared to other
IRTAD countries, 2022
5.6

5

4

3

2

1

Note: in Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Hungary, registered vehicles do not include mopeds. * 2021 data.

Figure 5. Road fatalities in Morocco by user category, 2022

Others incl. unknow n 6%
Pedestrians 25%
Passenger car occupants 23%

Cyclists 5%

Motorised tw o-w heelers 40%

Figure 6. Road fatalities in Morocco by road type, 2022

Motorw ays 6%

Urban roads 47%

Rural roads 47%

Figure 7. Road fatality rate in Morocco by user category and age group, 2022
Rate per 100 000 population in the same age group
20

15

10

5

0

0-14

15-17

Pedestrians

Cyclists

18-20

21-24

Motorised tw o-w heelers

25-64

Passenger car occupants

65-74

75+

Other users incl. unknow n

Road safety data 2012-22
Between 2012 and 2022, road deaths decreased by 16%. During the same period, registeredvehicles more than doubled from 2.8 million units in 2010 to 6.3 million in 2022.

Table 2. Crash, casualty and traffic data in Morocco, 2012-22
2012

2020

2021

2022

Evolution
2012-22

Reported safety data
Fatalities

4 167

3 005

3 685

3 499

-16.0%

Injury crashes

67 15184 585

114 626

113 625

69.2%

Injured persons hospitalised

90 099112 122154 411153 17970.0%

Deaths per 100 000 population

12.8

8.4

10.1

9.5

-25.4%

..

5.3

6.2

5.6

..

Pedestrians

..

730

900

888

..

Cyclists

..

188

187

190

..

Motorised two-wheelers

..

1 095

1 450

1 398

..

Passenger car occupants

..

782

929

801

..

Other road users

..

210

219

222

..

0-14 years

..

199

262

281

..

15-17 years

..

79

127

105

..

18-20 years

..

172

188

177

..

21-24 years

..

272

340

326

..

25-64 years

..

1 898

2 250

2 118

..

65-74 years

..

198

295

287

..

≥ 75 years

..

157

144

153

..

Urban roads

..

1 281

1 634

1 629

..

Rural roads

..

1 550

1 836

1 658

..

Motorways

..

174

215

212

..

Registered vehicles (thousands)

2 791

5 666

5 930

6 269

124.6%

Registered vehicles per 1 000 population

87.5

157.6

163.3

171.0

95.4%

Deaths per 10 000 registered vehicles
Fatalities by road user

Fatalities by age group

Fatalities by road type

Traffic data

Figure 9. Evolution of road fatalities, motorisation and GDP in Morocco, 2012-22
Index 2012 = 100
175

150

125

100

75
2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Fatalities

2018

2019

Injury crashes

GDP

2020

2021

2022

Safety performance indicators
Speed
Inappropriate speed is one of the leading causes of road crashes. In Morocco, about 18% of allroad fatalities in 2022 were caused by speeding.
Table 3 summarises the main speed limits for passenger cars in Morocco.
Table 3. Passenger car speed limits by road type in Morocco, 2023
General speed limit
Urban roads

60 km/h
30 km/h in residential areas

Comments
Lower speed limits for motorcycles and motor
powered tricycles and quadricycles

Rural roads

100 km/h

Lower speed limits for trucks, buses, taxis, tow trucks
and motorcycles

Motorways

120 km/h

Lower speed limits for trucks, buses, tow trucks andmotorcycles

Drink driving
In 2010, Morocco enacted a law prohibiting driving under the influence of alcohol. The law fixed
the maximum permissible BAC at 0.2 g/l when measured by a blood sample and 0.1 mg/l when

measured by breath. In 2022, based on police data, about 3.2% of road fatalities were alcoholrelated.

Drugs and driving
According to the highway code, it is forbidden to drive under the influence of illicit drugs.

Use of mobile phones while driving
An increasing problem for traffic safety in Morocco is distraction, for instance, through the use ofmobile phones while driving. The use of hand-held phones while driving is forbidden. The use ofhands-free devices while driving is authorised. Morocco participated in ESRA2 in 2018. The survey
among 1 047 car drivers revealed that 48.3% of drivers admitted to using a mobile phone whiledriving in the last 30 days.

Fatigue
The share of sleepiness and fatigue as a causal factor in crashes is especially challenging to detect.
Based on police data, it was estimated that about 1% of fatalities in 2022 were due to sleepiness or
fatigue.

Seat belt and helmet use
Seat belt use has been compulsory for front seats in rural areas since 1977 and since 2005 forfront seats in urban areas and rear seats in rural areas. There is a law prohibiting children underten from sitting in the front seat, but there is no law concerning the compulsory use of a child
restraint system.
The wearing rates are reported in Table 4. Despite recent progress, these use rates are too low.
It shows a slight deterioration in the share of motorcyclists wearing helmets. Many lives could besaved if the seat belt wearing rate was closer to the average in IRTAD countries.
Helmet use has been compulsory for drivers and passengers of mopeds and motorcycles since
2010.
Helmet use is not compulsory for cyclists.
As part of Morocco's 2017-26 road safety strategy, targets have been set for 2026 regarding using
seatbelts and helmets (see section on road safety management and strategy).

Table 4. Seat belt and helmet wearing rates in Morocco
Percentages
2021

2022

Driver (urban roads)

59

62

Driver (rural roads)

73..

Passenger (urban roads)

55

57

Passenger (urban roads)

65

57

General36..

Moped – rider

60

56

Moped – passenger

37

31

Motorcycle – rider

65

58

Motorcycle – passenger

37

32

Front seats

Rear seats

HelmetCost of road crashes
Traffic crashes represent a high cost for Morocco, and in 2022, they were estimated at EUR 1.6
billion (1.2% of GDP) without counting the cost of slight injuries and property damage.
Table 5. Cost of road crashes in Morocco, 2022
Unit Cost (EUR)

NumberTotal cost (EUR)

Fatalities

256 1363 499

0.9 billion

Seriously injured

64 033

10 9290.7 billion

Total
Total as % of GDP

1.6 billion
1.2 %Road safety management and strategy
History of road safety
The number of police-reported road fatalities peaked in 2011, with 4 222 people killed. There wasa continuous decrease in road fatalities from 2012 to 2014 when the lowest number of fatalities
since 1999 (3 489) was reached. Between 2015 and 2018, road deaths stabilised at around 3 750
per year. A significant drop was observed in 2020, partly due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021,
the number of road deaths returned to the pre-Covid period. In 2022, Morocco recorded 3 499
road deaths, a decrease of 5% compared to 2021.

Morocco has experienced substantial growth in its vehicle fleet, with an estimated increase from
2.7 million vehicles (moped not included) in 2015 to 4.3 million in 2022. Over the same period, thetraffic volume, measured as vehicle-kilometres travelled, grew by more than 15.7%.
The first national road safety strategy was implemented between 2004 and 2013 and led to some
progress, but this was not homogeneous over the entire period. During 2006-08, there was anincrease in fatalities, with growth rates comparable to those of the pre-strategy period. In
addition, a significant increase was recorded in 2011 (12% more road fatalities compared to 2010).
However, a decrease in road fatalities was recorded in 2005, 2010 and 2012-13. The drop in 2005
was explained by the implementation of a memorandum from the minister of justice ordering
the withdrawal of driving licenses for traffic violations. The cancellation of this memorandum
during the first half of 2006 led to an increase in road crashes. The launch of the new highway
code explained the decline in 2010. However, lack of enforcement led to the rise in road fatalities
recorded in 2011.

Governance of road safety
From 2006 until 2019, Morocco's road safety responsibility was delegated to the Directorate ofRoad Transport and Road Safety in the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Logistics and Water.
In 2006, several committees dedicated to road safety were created. They are still active:•

The Interministerial Committee for Road Safety, chaired by the head of government, is
responsible for validating national road strategies and co-ordinating, monitoring, andevaluating the implementation of action plans.

•

The Permanent Committee for Road Safety, chaired by the minister of transport,
infrastructure and logistics, acts as the technical secretariat for the Interministerial
Committee.

•

Regional committees for road safety.

In February 2018, the government adopted a law to create a national road safety agency. The
agency became operational in January 2020 and is responsible for implementing and managing
all road safety actions. The agency is an independent public body administered by a board of
directors and operated by a director. The head of government chairs the agency.

National road safety strategy
The current road safety strategy covers the period 2017-26. The strategy refers to the safe system.
Priority measures focus on pedestrians, motorcycles, single-vehicle crashes, children andprofessional transport. The 2017-26 strategy is supported by an annual budget of around USD
200 million.
It includes the following targets:•

reducing the number of deaths to less than 2 800 by 2021 (a decrease of 20% from 2015
to 2021)•

reducing the number of deaths to less than 1 900 fatalities by 2026 (a reduction of 50%
from 2015 to 2026)•

reducing the mortality rate to 4.9 road deaths per 100 000 population in 2026.

There are also specific targets related to Morocco's priority challenges: pedestrians, powered
two- and three-wheelers, children, single-vehicle crashes, and commercial transport.
Table 6. Specific targets of the 2017-26 road safety strategy
Priority challenges
Pedestrians

Single vehicle crashes

Indicators

Baseline (2015)

Target 2026

Pedestrians killed

992

500

Pedestrians killed in urban areas

523

250

Fatal single vehicles crashes

545

250

Compliance with UN standards on
motorcycles..

As of 2020

PTW type approvalChildren 0-14

Professional transport

Safety performanceindicators

100% as of 2020

Road deaths 0-14

356

150

Child pedestrian deaths

217

75

Fatal crashes involving public transport
vehicles

305

150

Fatal crashes involving trucks

633

300

Seatbelt use by drivers

67%

95%

Seatbelt use by front seat passengers

63%

95%

Seatbelt use by taxi passengers

63%

70%

Helmet use by PTW drivers

65.5%

95%

Helmet use by PTW passengers

22%

85%

The strategy was developed by the Ministry of Transport and Logistics in collaboration with all
the stakeholders concerned about road safety, and its implementation was launched in 2018. The
strategy has been endorsed at the head of government level and integrated into the governmentplan. The five-year action plan 2017-2021 relating to this strategy was approved by theinterministerial committee chaired by the head of government. The action plan for 2022-2027 isin progress.

Latest road safety measures
The year 2020 was marked by establishing the National Road Safety Agency, which co-ordinates,
implements, and manages all road safety-related actions. These included piloting the nationalroad safety strategy, issuing motorcycle and motor vehicle registration cards, driving license
examination, demerit point system management, technical inspections and inspections of allmotor vehicles, issuing authorisations for driving schools and their instructors, communication
campaigns, and acquiring enforcement equipment.
In 2022, the national road control plan was established with the creation of the co-ordination
bodies, the acquisition of the control equipment and regional application.
The national strategy was broken down into regional strategies.
The national road safety observatory was established.
A program of local rescue centres for victims of road traffic crashes was established.
Communication campaigns were implemented on specific topics, such as speed, seat belts, theuse of mobile phones while driving, and respect for pedestrian crossings.
Bicycle and motorcycle helmets were distributed.
The road safety certificate in the school curriculum (middle school students) was developed.
The enforcement enhancement against dangerous road user behaviour, such as speed, drunk
driving, mobile phone use while driving and transporting children in the front seats, wasenhanced.
The civil society components collaborate in awareness-raising projects and providing training andtechnical support to NGOs, constituting an actual local communication relay.
The ambulance fleet was increased to enhance its presence nationwide.

Research and resources
Publications
Rapportdelasécuritéroutière,Bilan
del’année
https://www.narsa.ma/sites/default/files/202310/Rapport%20de%20la%20SR%202022%20V5_231020_140005_compressed.pdf

2022:

Recueil des statistiques des accidents corporels de la circulation routière
https://www.narsa.ma/sites/default/files/2023-10/Recueil%20des%20accidents%20%202022_231020_140050.pdf

2022:

WebsitesNational Road Safety Agency (NARSA): http://narsa.ma/fr/accueil
Ministry of Transport and Logistics: http://www.transport.gov.ma/Pages/accueil.aspx

Definition, methodology, data collection
Term

Definition

Road deathAny person killed immediately or who dies within 30 days due to a road crash.

Person seriously injured

Any person injured in a road crash requiring hospitalisation for six days or
more.

Person slightly injured

Any person injured in a road crash requiring medical treatment or
hospitalisation of fewer than six days.

Crash data in Morocco are collected at the crash scene by the gendarmerie in rural areas and thenational police in urban areas. Police are expected to attend to all crashes with fatalities or
injuries. Data related to crashes involving material damage only are not recorded.
Crash information is filled in on a form like the one used in France. This form contains informationon the circumstances of the crash, the location, the casualties, etc. The government plans toprogressively introduce Global Information System (GIS) information into police reports.
Data are consolidated nationally by the Roads Directorate, part of the Ministry of Equipment,
Transport and Logistics. They are entered into a database that the same entity has administeredsince the 1970s.
Police liaise with hospitals to complete their reports in case of injuries. The International
Classification of Diseases 10 (ICD-10) system began in pilot hospitals in 2019 before being
extended nationally in 2020.
The level of underreporting is not known. In its 2018 global status report, the WHO estimated thatin 2016, the total number of road fatalities was between 6 100 and 7 700, whereas the reported
number was 3 785.

About the IRTAD Database
The IRTAD Database includes road safety data, aggregated by country and year from 1970
onwards. It provides an empirical basis for international comparisons and more effective roadsafety policies.
The IRTAD Group validates data for quality before inclusion in the database. At present, thedatabase includes validated data from 35 countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium,
Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,
New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United
Kingdom and the United States.
The data is provided in a common format based on definitions developed and agreed by the
IRTAD Group. Selected data is available for free; full online access requires IRTAD membership.
Access the IRTAD Database via the OECD statistics portal:
https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=IRTAD_CASUAL_BY_AGE

About the International Transport ForumThe International Transport Forum (ITF) is an intergovernmental organisation with 66 member
countries that organises global dialogue for better transport. It acts as a think tank for transport
policy and hosts the Annual Summit of transport ministers. The ITF is the only global body thatcovers all transport modes. The ITF is administratively integrated with the OECD, yet politicallyautonomous.
www.itf-oecd.org

About the IRTAD GroupThe International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis (IRTAD) Group is the ITF's permanent working
group for road safety. It brings together road safety experts from national road administrations,road safety research institutes, international organisations, automobile associations, insurancecompanies, car manufacturers, etc. With 80 members and observers from more than 40
countries, the IRTAD Group is a central force in promoting international co-operation on roadcrash data and its analysis.
www.itf-oecd.org/irtad

Disclaimer
The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official
views of International Transport Forum member countries. This document and any map included
herein are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitationof international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.
Data in this country profile have been provided by countries to the database of the International
Traffic Safety Data and Analysis (IRTAD) Group. Where data has not been independently validatedby IRTAD, this is indicated.

Read more country profiles online:
https://www.itf-oecd.org/road-safety-annual-report-2023

Last updated: 3 November 2023

© OECD/ITF 2024

Cite this work as: ITF (2024), "Morocco: Road Safety Country Profile 2023", OECD Publishing, Paris.

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