Distractions, speed and alcohol and drug consumption, the main causes of fatal accidents in 2017

The DGT reviews the main causes behind the 1,013 road deaths on conventional roads during the past year.

According to DGT data, 1,013 people lost their lives in accidents on conventional roads during 2017. This figure accounts for 77 percent of the total fatalities on interurban roads last year, when 223 fatal accidents occurred on dual carriageways and 85 on motorways.

The analysis of the consolidated 2017 data, according to the report prepared by the National Road Safety Observatory, makes clear which types of accidents are the most frequent:

Run-off-road accidents involving one vehicle: 367 deaths.

The DGT identifies “excessive or inappropriate speed” (it does not distinguish between the two) as a contributing factor in half of the 367 deaths from run-off-road accidents, with distraction present in one in three. Notably, the high figure of drivers involved who showed excessive alcohol and/or drug consumption stands at no less than 47 percent.

Head-on collisions: 285 deaths

Seven out of 10 road deaths in 2017 caused by head-on collisions were due to one of the drivers involved crossing into the opposite lane. In one in ten, the cause was a poorly executed overtaking manoeuvre. Here too, alcohol and/or drugs (42% of cases) and distraction (36%) appear as contributing factors, with a third factor gaining prominence: fatigue (22%).

Side-impact collisions: 149 deaths

This type of accident, typical at intersections, caused 149 deaths in 2017, in 44 percent of cases due to failure to observe signage, and in 32 percent as a result of distraction and inappropriate speed.

Pedestrian knockdowns: 54 deaths

Of the 54 deaths in 2017 resulting from pedestrian knockdowns, it should be noted that more than 50 percent occurred at night.

A very important figure to consider in the analysis of accidents on conventional roads in recent years is the increase in the percentage of fatal victims. Known as the “lethality index”, it has risen 13% since 2013, from 2.4 to 2.7 deaths per hundred victims. Specifically, the increase reaches 30% in the case of head-on collisions and 35% in run-off-road accidents.

The DGT accompanies this information with some images of reckless behaviour on these types of roads, such as failing to keep a safe distance when overtaking a cyclist. We can see it in this video.

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