Nearly 700 people died in 2022, killed by drivers under the influence of narcotics. Should we create a qualification of “road homicide”? What does Gautier think, knocked down by a biker at 17?
Since being knocked down by a biker in July 1995, Gautier Pataille has lost the use of speech and, in part, that of his legs. With a permanent smile on his lips, he now raises his finger before speaking, as if to intimate the silence, taps a few lines on his smartphone and the voice assistant transcribes his thoughts. For him, toughening the law against those responsible for road accidents could help other victims “It is certain that one measure is not enough but it would already be necessary, I think, to sanction more severely the people under the influence of alcohol, drugs. ”
It is precisely the idea of the government with this offense of “road homicide” which would concern drivers who have consumed alcohol and narcotics before taking the wheel. According to official figures, around 700 people were killed in 2022, victims of drivers under the influence of narcotics. At present, lperson responsible for a fatal accident is guilty of manslaughter, he can incur up to 5 years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros. Alcohol and narcotics are aggravating circumstances that can increase the sentence up to three years.
Gautier does not dwell on the person responsible for his accident. He only tells us that he was mowed down on the sidewalk by a probably alcoholic driver who was given a suspended sentence. At 46, like many victims, he did not rebuild himself thanks to the heaviness or the exemplary nature of the sentence but thanks to studies, disabled sports and his family: “You know, if I had asked myself questions about what became of the biker, I wouldn’t have progressed, so the biker, I don’t need to know what became of him. I don’t give a damn!”
Gautier is now involved in prevention within the association of the paralyzed in France by intervening during awareness training courses for people sentenced to work of general interest, for example. For these activists, the government’s plan must be accompanied by a prevention component: “Talking about it, raising awareness, should be more useful than repression” adds Martine Cuenot, also a volunteer at the Côte d’Or APF.
In July, Elisabeth Borne will convene an interministerial committee to decide what new sanctions will be put in place against drivers under the influence of narcotics.
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