The subdelegate of the Government in Pontevedra, Maica Larriba, presented today the road safety balance of the province relative to the year 2022. During the appearance he was accompanied by Paula Yubero, provincial head of the General Directorate of Traffic. The government subdelegate described the balance as “bittersweet since although the data are good in terms of fatalities and I compute it from the global number of accidents, we have to regret the tragic Christmas Eve accident.”
In total, the province’s roads recorded 18 deaths in traffic accidents in 2022, 7 of them during the Cotobade disaster. Maica Larriba stressed that this number “is the lowest of the last four years”. With respect to the seriously injured, the figure is 87 people, equal to the one registered in 2021. On the other hand, the deputy delegate explained that “the number of accidents in which some victims are recorded — whether they are minor, serious or deceased — recorded a very slight increase with respect to the years 2020 and 2021.”
Maica Larriba also pointed out as a positive fact the reduction in the number of vulnerable users in the count of fatalities, since last year there were 5 vulnerable users who died, this figure is lower than 7 of 2021 or 10 of 2019. In other words, vulnerable users – pawns, cyclists and motorcyclists – accounted for 28% of road traffic fatalities in 2022, a percentage similar to that of the previous year, but significantly lower than that registered in 2020 (38%) and 2019 (41%). Regarding the causes of accidents with fatal victims, the subdelegate indicated that the exits of tracks are behind 89% of fatal accidents, while the frontal or frontolateral collision is the second most common cause, being observed in 8% of cases.”
In relation to the typology of accidents with fatalities, 50% of fatalities in 2022 were drivers, a percentage lower than that registered in 2021, year in which drivers accounted for 72% of fatalities. On the other hand, most fatal accidents continue to occur between 07:00 and 20:00. However, the Cotobade accident statistically varied this schedule, extending it at 00h.
Regarding the use of safety systems, the subdelegate stressed that the 5 deaths on motorcycles made use of the regulatory helmet. With respect to the use of safety belt and child restraint systems, 75% of fatalities also complied with the regulations. In relation to the concurrent factors of accidents with victims in the province, Maica Larriba wanted to warn that “excess speed is present in 30.43% of the accidents, a figure almost seven points above the average in Galicia”.
However, distractions at the wheel are only present in 13% of accidents, when in the case of Galicia this percentage rises to 23%. Likewise, the presence of alcohol accidents with victims is also two points lower in the province with respect to Galicia”. In this regard, the subdelegate reported that “2.47% of the alcoholism carried out by the Civil Guard on the roads of the province were positive”. A figure that amounts to 55.96% in the case of drug controls.
With regard to the checks carried out after the accidents, they revealed that “5.79% of drivers had previously consumed alcohol, and 22.8% drugs”.
Vehicle fleet and driver census
Maica Larriba also reported an increase of 1.4 points with respect to 2021 registered both in the vehicle park of the province and in the census of drivers. With this respect, the subdelegate reported that, currently, 761,938 cars make up the census of vehicles of the province, being 73.1% passenger cars. Likewise, people with a driving license reach the figure of 607,400.