Traffic Deaths Down 50% in 10 Years
November 30th, 2011
Sunday was the World Day of Remembrance for Victims of Traffic Accidents. The good news for Spain is that over the last 10 year period, traffic mortality has fallen more than 50 percent, from 5,517 fatalities in 2001 to 2,478 last year. A total of 41,665 people lost their lives on the roads over the 10 years and 205,774 were seriously injured – still too many – leaving nearly 250,000 families affected.
The Association of Victims “Stop Accidents” took advantage of the anniversary to ask the new Government for its “uncompromising commitment to keep the political consensus on issues of road safety as top priority” and to comply with and enforce the Strategic Road Safety Plan 2011-2020, recently approved by the Government. The victims also called for “the immediacy of justice and the strict application of the law as well as the urgent amendment of the Criminal Procedure Act, the Penal Code, the Children’s Act and the immediate reform of the current schedule of compensation.”
ABC News reported that in Spain, the target set by the Strategic Road Safety Plan 2011-2020 is to reduce traffic fatalities by around 40 percent by 2020, from today’s figures of 59 deaths per million inhabitants down to 37. The plan also includes objectives to reduce the number of children dying as a result of not using a safety harness to zero, decreasing to 30 percent those who die from being run over, or “commuting”, and also reduce to 25 percent drivers between 18 to 24 years old killed or seriously injured on the roads at weekends.
To mark the World Remembrance Day, Madrid held its third popular race for road safety, organised by the Antena 3 initiative “Put the Brakes On”. 13,000 participants gathered for the 10 km race in Madrid’s Retiro Park to support the victims of traffic accidents. With the slogan “Today running to save lives,” the race took off at 9 a.m. and among the runners were the CEO of Traffic, Pere Navarro, the Attorney General of Road Safety, Bartolomé Vargas, the Minister of Industry, Miguel Sebastian, and the Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports of the Community of Madrid, Javier Hernandez. “It has merit, 13,000 people getting up early on Sunday to strive for change,” Navarro said, after crossing the finish line, where he was proud to beat his previous time.
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