Morocco Proposes Major Overhaul of Highway Code to Address Rising Road Fatalities

"In the interest of transparency and inclusiveness, this document was submitted for public comment on the SGG portal on February 6 for a period of 20 days," says a source from the ministry to Médias24, specifying that "the ministry is currently consolidating the observations collected and preparing a response matrix" before submitting the text to the Council of Government and then to Parliament.

This reform follows the alarming finding of the "significant increase in the mortality rate among users of two- and three-wheeled vehicles." Road accident deaths have increased from 25% in 2015 (the reference year for the 2017-2026 National Road Safety Strategy) to 44.2% in 2023. "Faced with this worrying trend, it has become imperative to rethink the strategies for strengthening the safety of motorcyclists and to mobilize all stakeholders around this issue in order to protect these particularly vulnerable users," the same source points out.

Furthermore, the application of the current Highway Code, in force since 2010, has revealed "the limits of certain provisions of the legal arsenal relating to road safety, thus justifying adjustments." Similarly, "technological advances in transportation and road safety require an update of the regulations in order to integrate innovative solutions and modern devices, both to meet the needs of users and to improve road safety indicators."

"These findings have led to a critical review of the Highway Code," it is specified. The draft law, amending and supplementing Law 52.05, "aims to strengthen the legal framework and implement an integrated approach to combating road insecurity, in line with the objectives of the National Road Safety Strategy," including halving the road mortality rate by 2026. The text also provides for the revision of the conditions for obtaining a driver’s license for mopeds, as well as fines and penalties, the updating and simplification of certain administrative procedures and formalities.