Accident Rate: Causes And Figures From The DGT
From 1960 to the present, the accident figures collected by the DGT have undergone many changes. With a peak in accidents in 1989 that left 9,344 road fatalities, the numbers have generally decreased each year to this day.
In 2016 64% of accidents took place in urban areas. However, it is on interurban roads where the highest number of deaths occurs, with 71% of them.
Vehicles involved in accidents
According to the DGT, the main vehicle involved in accidents with accidents is tourism. To the point that four out of every five accidents with victims have at least one tourism involved.
Motorcycles participate in 25% of accidents, and bicycles in 7%. The bus stands out as the safest vehicle, with only a 2% participation in accidents with victims.
Comparing the accidents of 2015 with those of 2016, the decreases in accidents only occur in mopeds and goods vehicles. In addition, the number of hospitalized after accidents with this type of vehicle has also decreased.
In the other media (cars, motorcycles, bicycles and buses) there have been increases in the number of deaths.
Beyond vehicles, it is important to look at the data on pedestrians collected by the DGT. These are the ones with the highest fatality rate, especially on interurban roads.
Among the vehicles that cause the most fatal accidents in pedestrians are trucks and motorcycles.
Regarding the age of the victims, the highest percentage on interurban roads corresponds to people between 35 and 44 years old, with 42% of the accidents. On the other hand, on urban roads there are more accidents in people from 0 to 14 years old and 55 to 64 years old.
The temporary environment of accidents
The DGT collects data on accidents according to each season of the year. In 2016 declines in the accident rate can be observed in May, September, November and December.
During this past year there have been an average of 5 fatalities per day, with a peak of accidents in July, August and September.
Even so, it is interesting to note that November and December are the months with the most pedestrian deaths. Regarding the type of road, the interurban ones present an average of more than double the accidents than the urban ones.
Within each week, Saturday and Sunday are the days with the most accidents, accumulating 32% of them.
The DGT further limits the time margins, considering that the highest number of accidents with accidents take place between 8:00 a.m. and 7:59 p.m. However, the percentage of fatalities is highest between 20:00 and 7:59. This is mainly due to the fact that traffic is lower on all roads, and therefore vehicles circulate at higher speeds.
The luminosity and its relation with the accident rate
The lack of light is a key factor in traffic accidents. In 2016, 70% of accidents with victims and 62% of deaths occurred at night. This is the case for interurban roads, while in urban roads more accidents are recorded during daylight hours.
As for pedestrians, there were also a higher number of deaths during the night on interurban roads. However, more accidents occur on urban roads during the day.
Varied causes of claims
It is very difficult to find traffic accidents due to only one cause. The normal thing is to find several factors involved, both in vehicles and in people.
Inadequate speed was present in 9.5% of accidents last year in urban areas, and reached 17.2% on interurban roads.
Regarding the cases of substance use, alcohol is present in 78% of them. Marijuana is found in 9% of cases, and cocaine in 2%.
The DGT provides very detailed records on the accident rate registered each year, being available on its website to any interested party. To deal with accidents, it is advisable to know their main causes and agents involved.
The lack of light, speeding and alcohol consumption are presented as the elements that cause the most victims. With a good amount of information, drivers can pay more attention to all factors related to the accident rate.
