Fall in deaths on Spain’s roads over festive period

8 January 2004

MADRID- Spanish traffic authorities said Thursday that 195 people lost their lives on the country’s highways during the Christmas holiday season –  nine fewer than last year.

According to the General Traffic Directorate, 84 people suffered serious injuries and 55 suffered minor injuries during the holiday season which began 19 December and ended at midnight Wednesday.

Hundreds of thousands of people take to the nation’s highways during Spain’s long holiday season which encompasses Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Epiphany on 6 January.

Most visit friends and relatives or take a holiday in the country’s ski resorts and Mediterranean beaches.

Spain’s Guardia Civil mounts special operations with increased patrols in an attempt to safeguard drivers.

Last year, 204 people died in accidents during the Christmas exodus.

Officials at the General Traffic Directorate said that this year, the region of Catalonia suffered the most deaths with 37 fatalities, followed by Andalusia with 28. There were no deaths reported in the region of La Rioja.

The worst day for fatalities was Christmas Eve when 22 people lost their lives in 16 accidents.

Many were possibly killed rushing at the last minute to reach relatives in other parts of Spain.

This season was the third lowest in traffic fatalities in the past 16 years, the officials said.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news