Number hunting accidents started to rise slightly again last year, mainly due to an increase in self-harm, but the 20-year trend clearly continues to decline, particularly fatal accidents This was reported by the French Biodiversity Office (OFB) on Thursday.
In the 2023/24 season, 97 hunting accidents (‘any bodily injury caused by a firearm as part of hunting’) were recorded, compared to 78 last year, including 6 deaths among hunters alone. OFB emphasizes that for the second year already, the number of fatal accidents is at the lowest level in the last 20 years.
A very sharp increase in car accidents
The increase in overall (minor and serious) crashes in one year is 24%, but this is due to a “significant increase in self-inflicted crashes (40% of crashes in 2023 compared to a 20-year average of 29%). 3 out of 6 registered accidents are fatal accidents,” the state agency notes.
However, in the last 20 years, this trend remains “positive” and overall accidents have decreased by 42% and fatalities by 77%.
In addition, the number of non-hunter victims almost halved (from 23 to 12) last year, and none were involved in serious or fatal accidents. “If one accident is always one accident too many, the work done to improve safety around hunting has been very strong and is beginning to pay off, (…) even if there are still levers to be activated,” especially around training. hunters, Olivier Thibault, director general of the OFB reacted.