Road deaths return to pre-pandemic levels in Spain

A total of 79 people died in traffic accidents in February, three less than in the same month of 2019, the year before the pandemic, a figure that points to a normalization after January’s recordwhen there were 100 fatalities on the roads.

The balance of the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) of the month of February shows an increase in the number of deaths among vulnerable users, with 18 motorcyclists, 10 pedestrians and 4 cyclists, for a total of 32, 8 more than in 2019. And it reveals that, already in 2022 and despite all awareness campaigns developed, thirteen deceased were not wearing a seatbelt and another one circulated without a helmet.

There is also a trend of increasing deaths on highways and motorways and a decrease on conventional roads, although these are the ones that accumulate the worst records, with 56 fatalities for 23 high-capacity roads.

So far this year, deaths on highways and motorways have doubled (62 per 30 in 2019) and those on roads with lower capacity have dropped by 6%.

Andalusia, the community with the most victims

And, while the deaths among vulnerable users increase, they decrease among those of cars or vans (43 by 51 of February 2019). Most of the fatal accidents were off the road (39 dead, 9 more than three years earlier), while collisions were reduced from 38 to 28.

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Andalusia, despite being the community with the highest number of victims, with 15, is also one of those that has had the best evolution compared to February 2019, when there were 20. Madrid, with a decrease from 8 to 3, is the other most prominent in that regard.

The figures for the year continue to be significantly worse than that of 2019 weighed down by the data for January, which was the worst in a decade. Thus, the 179 deaths in 2022 are 15% of the 155 in the first two months of 2019.

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