If, in the Lyon area one out of two trips is made on foot , pedestrians don’t always adopt the right behavior. This is what reveals a survey published by the insurer MMA on pedestrian practices in various cities in France. The results of the study indicate that no less than 4 out of 10 pedestrians in Lyon (38% to be precise) have dangerous behavior when crossing the road.

Dangerous behaviors more observed in certain neighborhoods

“The study was conducted on October 19 and 20, with a sample of 2,173 crossings, including 414 in Lyon, at five different locations in the city. The five pedestrian crossings selected in Lyon (cours Lafayette, boulevard des Etats-Unis, avenue Jean-Jaurès, rue Garibaldi and avenue Berthelot) were selected because at least one accident involving a pedestrian had taken place there in recent years. The survey shows that 83% of pedestrians with risky behavior simply cross at a red light. This is 22% more than at the national level! “

30% of Lyonnais who behave dangerously cross outside protected passages while 11% use their phone. These incivilities lead, in 4% of cases, to an incident (horn, sudden braking, etc.).

Nantes and Lille do better than Lyon

In comparison with the four other cities studied (Lille, Nantes, Paris and Montpellier), the Lyonnais are champions, along with the Parisians, in these dangerous behaviors when crossing. “In Nantes and Lille, users seem to respect recipients better when crossing, with 33% and 22% respectively having had an inappropriate attitude” explains the survey.

On Twitter, Fabien Bagnon, vice-president environmentalist of the Metropolis of Lyon and president of Lyon Parc Auto Mobilités, reacted strongly to this study, pointing the finger at the fact that it “would blame the victims”. “MMA statistics are by no means official. In 2019, 17 pedestrians died on the roads. As a reminder, in France, only 24% of pedestrians who die in road accidents are presumed to be responsible, ”he said.