The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) and the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard begin tomorrow, Monday, an awareness campaign specifically aimed at the group of vulnerable users on Galician roads. The initiative, which will run until Sunday 14th, will focus on the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. This campaign will be carried out exclusively in Galicia on the initiative of the provincial headquarters of Traffic and the Sector of Galicia of the Civil Guard.
Accident data on interurban roads in Galicia indicate that in the last three years the percentage of victims of vulnerable groups in road accident statistics has been growing. If in 2021 33% of the total number of people died on Galician roads, in 2022 this percentage rose to 43% and this year it already reaches 44%. Specifically, between January 1 and April 30 of this year, of the 25 victims registered on roads in Galicia, 7 were pedestrians run over; 1 motorcyclist, 1 tractor user and 2 quad users.
The campaign will focus on awareness-raising and pursues a twofold objective. On the one hand, to make pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists aware of their vulnerability on the road and to remember the need to make themselves visible and use specific protection systems such as helmets, as well as appropriate clothing for riding bicycles and motorcycles. Along with this objective, a second is to sensitize drivers about the high risk exposure of these users and the need to maintain the constant level of alert to their presence on the road.
With this double objective, the teams of the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard will deliver high-visibility reflective elements to walkers or pedestrians who travel along the tracks without making use of this type of clothing and will distribute triptychs to cyclists, bikers and drivers of other types of vehicles with the rules and recommendations for both.
Users in a vulnerable situation
Vulnerable users are those who, either because of their physical characteristics or because of the means of travel used, are most likely to be involved in a traffic accident or to be killed or injured as a result of it. The concept includes pedestrians in general (children, adolescents, young people, adults, the elderly and people with reduced mobility), as well as cyclists and motorcyclists.
The protection of this group is one of the priorities of the Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020 and is also included in the draft of the new Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030.