Traffic deaths down – weekends still most fatal

16 February 2004

MADRID – Traffic fatalities on Spain’s highways have dropped almost 10 percent since the beginning of the year, but weekends are still deadly with the number of victims up more than 14 percent compared to the same period last year, Spanish traffic authorities said Monday.

In the month of January, 275 people died on the nation’s highways, or 9.3 percent fewer than the same month in 2003 when 303 people perished in accidents, according to figures released by the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT). But weekend deaths for the month this year were up by 14.6 percent to 141. 

DGT officials explained that it was still too early to discern why fatalities were lower in January compared to the previous year. There were many variables to take into account, including weather, road conditions and the age of the vehicles involved. But one disturbing fact is clear from the statistics: more people under 30 years of age died than in any other age group.

Of the 275 fatalities last month, 78 were people under 30, followed by 62 between the ages of 31 and 40. The 51-60 age group had the lowest number of fatal victims with 25.
Meanwhile, 27 people died in 22 accidents around the country this past weekend, and the worst day was Saturday when 16 people were killed in a total of 13 fatal traffic mishaps.

Three people died in each of two separate accidents, one in Granada province and the other on the island of El Hierro in the Canaries, DGT officials said.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish News