Easter Road Fatalities Least Ever Recorded
April 29th, 2011
Spain’s 2011 Semana Santa (Easter Week) saw traffic fatalities fall below 40 “for the first time in the history of accidents in Spain – a goal that seemed impossible years ago”, said First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba.
Between 3 p.m. on Friday 15th April and midnight on Monday 25th, 39 people were killed on Spanish roads, which is five fewer than in 2010. “If one looks at the entire decade, this represents a decrease in fatalities of 100”, stressed Rubalcaba.
The number of serious injuries has also fallen from 249 in 2010 to 195 in 2011.
Last year 14.6 million people made journeys by road during the holidays. Of the 14.4 million trips expected this year, 150,000 less were actually recorded. The minister blamed the unusually heavy rains for this drop in numbers, saying “the weather has been a decisive factor, and there have been cancellations at many hotels in Spain“.
Rubalcaba has said that it’s impossible to know whether the reduction of fatalities is in any way related to the recent decision to adopt a speed limit of 110 km/per hour in an effort to save energy. He also said that this speed limit will be reviewed on 30th June when, dependent on the price and availability of oil, the Government will decide whether to extend this measure.
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