The DGT takes stock of 2013, a year in which road accident rates fell

The first days of each year are usually used to take stock of the previous one, and the DGT has done just that by presenting the figures from its 2013 review. The report brings good news because road accident rates have fallen compared with previous years, but at the same time it also reveals worrying data that must not make us lower our guard even slightly on any of our journeys.

According to DGT data, the number of people killed in traffic accidents has dropped by more than 13% compared with the previous year. This decline is repeated for the tenth consecutive year and places us at figures from 1960. Even so, it is still hard to accept that there were more than 900 accidents with victims and that 1,128 people lost their lives on the road during 2013, a year in which we could celebrate only 29 days with zero road victims.

Conventional roads have once again been the place with the highest accident rate, and men, at 77%, were the ones most involved in these accidents. The number of seriously injured in accidents also fell by 16%. Running off the road and pedestrian knockdowns were the types of accident that occurred most often.

Although the DGT was pleased with the improvement in the data compared with previous years, it wanted to stress that there is still much to be done and that everyone must remain committed to safety so that these figures keep falling every day. Wearing a seatbelt, helmets for cyclists and motorcyclists, checking our vehicles’ safety features, and using child safety equipment are key to avoiding accidents or reducing their consequences.

Unfortunately, 21% of those killed in passenger cars and vans were not wearing a seatbelt. The helmet is also essential, because more than 24 people killed while riding a moped, motorcycle or bicycle were not wearing a helmet. Even more catastrophic is that several children lost their lives without using any safety accessory.

From here we congratulate everyone who every day puts their full attention into driving safely and we urge everyone to use all safety equipment, however short the journey or familiar the road, because by using it we could have prevented even more tragedies on the road.

Source | DGT