The Committee on Traffic, Road Safety and Sustainable Mobility of the Principality of Asturias met this morning under the chairmanship of the Government delegate in Asturias, Delia Losa, and with the presence of representatives of the three administrations.
Provisional Road Accident Balance 2023.
Following the agenda, Raquel Casado Martínez, Provincial Head of Traffic of Asturias, detailed the provisional road accident balance of 2023, year in which there were 1,841 accidents with victims, with 44 people dead, 201 hospitalized wounds and 2,251 wounds that did not require subsequent hospitalization. These data are framed in a scenario of mobility growth that in Asturias was in the environment of 4% with respect to 2022.
| Interurban roads | Urban roads | Total | |
| Accidents with victims | 821 | 1.020 | 1,841 |
| Fatal accidents | 35 | 6 | 41 |
| Deceased | 38 | 6 | 44 |
| Hospitalized wounded | 115 | 86 | 201 |
| Wounded not hospitalized | 1.062 | 1.189 | 2.251 |
The Interurban Roads. In 2023, accidents on these roads increased compared to the previous year, reaching 821 accidents with victims (+51), 38 people died (+16), 115 hospitalized wounded (+24) and 1,062 non-hospitalized (+69). Within interurban roads, the majority of accidents take place outside motorways and motorways, with 78% of accidents involving victims (643), 28 deaths (74%), 106 hospitalized injuries (92%) and 809 non-hospitalized (76%).
The means of travel with the highest number of deceased users were tourism with 17 (45%) and the motorcycle with 15 (39%). The growth of fatalities on board a motorcycle is very significant, going from 5 in 2022 to 15 in 2023, a figure that was put in relation to the growth of these vehicles in Asturias, which reached 68,569 units in 2023, 36% more than a decade ago.
| 2022 | 2023 | Percentage over total | Difference | |
| Pedestrian | 3 | 1 | 3% | -2 |
| Bicycle | 1 | 0 | 0% | -1 |
| Motorcycle | 5 | 15 | 39% | 10 |
| Tourism | 7 | 17 | 45% | 10 |
| Furgoneta | 1 | 2 | 5% | 1 |
| Another vehicle | 5 | 3 | 8% | -2 |
| Total | 22 | 38 | 16 |
The Urban Roads. Accidents also increased in comparison with 2022, reaching 1,020 accidents with victims (+58), 6 people who died (+2), 86 hospitalized wounded (+4) and 1,189 non-hospitalized (+57).
Regarding the fatalities, 2 were motorcycle users, 2 pedestrians, 1 bicycle user and another truck user.
Specific mention was given to Personal Mobility Vehicles (PMV), whose accident rate is steadily increasing, going from 6 accidents with victims in 2020 to 24 in 2023, year in which the hospitalized wounded were 4 and the non-hospitalized 59
Civil Guard Traffic Group Performance Forecasts for 2024.
Gerardo Suárez Gorris, Chief Commander of the Traffic Sector of Asturias, began his exhibition by reviewing the fatal accident of 2023 on the tracks subject to surveillance of the Traffic Group and establishing a profile of this, whose summary is that of a tourist vehicle, which suffers an accident on the conventional track during daytime, from Thursday to Sunday, concentrating between June and September 55% of the whole year.
Regarding the monitoring work of the Group in 2023, he highlighted the following figures:
- Alcohol and drug testing: 135.848, +16.25% compared to 2022
- Complaints made about alcohol and drugs: 3.676, +11.6% compared to 2022
- Reported radar reports: 6,495, +14.61% compared to 2022
- Complaints for distractions: 2.342, +0.09% compared to 2022
- Complaints for belt, SRI or helmet: 1.324, +0.91% compared to 2022
- Proposals start loss of validity driver’s license: 15, -12% compared to 2022
- Reports with proposals to improve road safety on roads: 33, +64% compared to 2022
By 2024, among the operational objectives set by the Group, the updating and improvement of the existing Motorcycle Control Plan stands out, the increase of 20% in alcohol and drug controls, in another 20% speed controls and 10% distractions, as well as the improvement in the assistance to carry out sports tests and the adjustment of the service to the operational gravity.
Actions of the State Road Demarcation in Asturias for 2024.
Mireya Muñoz Herrero, head of the State Road Demarcation in Asturias, gave an account of the actions carried out and those planned for 2024.
- Accident Concentration Sections Plan. Improvement of 8 intersections worth 4.1 M€ in the following locations: N-630 p.k 43+500 (Baiña – Mieres), N-630 p.k 45 (Cardeo –Mieres), N-630 p.k 47 (Fábrica de Mieres), N-634 P.K 400 (Colloto – Siero), N-634 p.k 391 (Cardeo – Mieres), N-634 p.k 534+800 (Jarrio – Coaña), N-634 p.k 158 (acceso al Parador de Cangas de Onís) y A-66 p.k 28+900 a 29+900 (Ronda Norte – Oviedo).
- Car parking on winter roads at A-66 p.k 56 (Lena) for 3.9 M€.
- Adaptation to RD 635/2006 on safety requirements of the following tunnels of the State Road Network: A-66 Ángel Uriel y Padrún (6,7 M€), A-8 El Carmen, Llovio, Tezangos, Fabar, Morís y Duesas (10,3 M€), A-8 Brañaviella, Cefontes, Deva, Fabares, Infanzón, Niévares y Vilaviciosa (34 M€) and AP-66 Pando, Vegaviesa, Entrerregueras, Negrón, Oblanca, Cosera and Barrios (68 M€).
- Actions of protection against fauna on roads N-625, A-63 and A-66 with the replacement and/or improvement of fencing and placement of light-signalling warning of danger of animals on the road.
- Installation of warning systems, reinforcement of signage and improvement of beaconing on roads N-634, A-63, N-625 and A-8.
- Improved visibility with existing vegetation on the margins of the A-8 and A-64 roads.
New Technological Installations of the General Directorate of Traffic in the Road Network of the Principality of Asturias.
Ramiro Martínez Rodríguez, director of the Northwest-Cantabrian Traffic Management Center, on which the roads of Asturias depend, analyzed the actions carried out by the DGT and those planned for 2024.
- Access control to Lagos de Covadonga by CO-04. Placement of turns on AS-262 and AS-114, new information panel before the Pilgrim’s roundabout and installation of wireless TV camera in Buferrera parking lot. Development of a new application for access to authorised vehicles.
- Investments implemented in the field of Road Safety
- Intelligent crosses in AS-15 (detour to Tineo) and N-634 in La Granda (Peruyes).
- Detection of vulnerable people and pedestrian crossings in N-632 p.k 40 (in front of facilities of Sidra El Gaitero) and N-625 in the Olla de San Vicente.
- Detection of vulnerable people in school areas, dynamic signaling in AS-12 in Boal and AS-255 and AS-322 in Villaviciosa
- Variable messaging panels with camera in N-630 p.k82.
- Special treatment of the AS-117, study of various measures for the improvement of road safety of the aforementioned road.
- Forecast of performances for 2024.
- Detection of vulnerable people in school areas to be defined.
- Installation of pedagogical radars with temporary rotation on routes to be defined.
- High Impact Traffic Events.
- Boombastic Festival (Llanera, July 2023). Placement of 2 mobile traffic surveillance cameras and 2 mobile signalling panels
- Signalling of incidents in the existing ITS equipment.
- Collaboration with the concessionaire of the AS-II motorway
Modelo de colaboración Policía Local – Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico de Asturias
Rafael Ángel Rodríguez, head of the Local Police of Avilés began by mentioning the 8 collaboration agreements signed between the City Council of Avilés and the Provincial Traffic Headquarters since 1989, with various topics such as improving road safety in the accesses of Avilés, access to the records of drivers and vehicles, transfer of equipment (kinemometers and alcoholimeters), installation of traffic control cameras and exchange of information and finally in 2023 the integration in the services of the General Traffic Directorate of the formulation of complaints and their automated sending by the local police through the “High Web System 2.1”.
When the cause that motivates the sanction falls within the competence of the General Directorate of Traffic, the local police of Avilés, through an application called ATREUS, validates and makes a report bulletin and transfers it with a meticulous security protocol to the application of the sanctioning procedure PSAN of the General Directorate of Traffic, which allows greater agility in the preparation and processing, decreases the possibility of human error providing greater security and efficiency to the procedure.
The number of complaints made by the Local Police of Avilés in matters of competence of the DGT was 2,424 in the year 2022, 2,341 during 2023 and so far this year (until March 7) have already been 427.