THE road accidents are part of the daily dangers of motorists: over time, it is not uncommon for the car to experience more serious collisions or accidents that may put the safety of the passengers in question.

Used car reporting specialist carVertical publishes the results of a study into the relationship between a car’s mileage and its mileage emergency level in France.

The number of accidents is increasing in France

According to carVertical in France, in 2021 a car traveled an average of 245,680 km before being involved in an accident. In 2022, this average increased to 179,823 km before reaching 159,758 km in 2023. This information indicates that The number of accidents is increasing in Franceand therefore cars drive fewer and fewer kilometers before breaking down.

This trend can be attributed to the increase in travel since 2020, with more car trips following the Covid crisis. However, these numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, as the accidents listed in this study range from minor injuries, such as bumps or scratches, to more serious accidents.

While minor scratches shouldn’t put you off buying a used car, a serious accident can have safety implications: indeed, it’s possible that it has suffered structural damage and is no longer safe to drive.

Our European neighbors have fewer road accidents

According to carVertical research, in 2023, French cars traveled 8.4% fewer kilometers than the European average, before encountering an accident. Therefore, the French tend to damage their cars more often than drivers in other countries.

“We estimate that 52.4% of used cars have been damaged at least once. That’s why a background check should play an important role in the whole car buying process, as well as a test drive and physical inspection at an authorized garage.”says Matas Bouzelis, automotive expert at carVertical.

In Spain, for example, the frequency of accidents increased from 193,448 km in 2022 to 192,043 km in 2023: so this trend is more or less stable among our Spanish neighbors. One of the countries in Europe with the lowest accident rate is Estonia, with just over 260,000 km, while Croatia is one of the worst performers, with just over 100,000 km between two accidents.

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