The subdelegate of the Government in Pontevedra, Abel Losada today reported the road safety balance of the province relative to 2023, year in which 24 people died on the roads.
The figures are framed in a context of greater mobility, recovering pre-pandemic levels, given that displacement increased by 1.2% compared to the previous year and 2.5% compared to 2019. In addition, the province has a fleet of vehicles that is located in the 782,242 utilities and industrial vehicles and a census that rises to 609,301 drivers. The subdelegate of the Government stressed that there were a total of 22 fatalities in which 24 people died, given that there were two fatalities with two deaths in Vilaboa and Cambados. These figures represent 6 deaths more than in 2022, but the same as in the period 2018-2020 and one less than in 2021. However, there is a slight decrease in lethality in the case of fatal accidents.
With respect to the seriously injured, the number was 96 people, and the number of the slightly injured was 1,364. The overall number of casualties with victims was 985, which represents a slight year-on-year increase but a decrease of 13.4 points compared to five years ago. Abel Losada pointed out that 20 of the 24 people killed lost their lives on conventional roads, and 4 on high-capacity roads. Some data that, second he explained, are aligned with national statistics, second of which 3 out of 4 deaths occur in this type of way.
Regarding the ownership of the road, the subdelegate reported that 59% of the fatal accidents registered in the province in 2023 occurred on regional roads, 36% on state-owned roads and 4% on municipal roads. In this regard, Losada warned of the importance of rejecting any temptation to make political use of accidents to address claims to administrations of another political color, since “it is clear that accidents occur in all kinds of ways and with all kinds of qualifications.”
The Government’s deputy delegate shared his concern about the number of vulnerable users who died on the province’s roads, since they represent 58% of the deaths, an increase of 30% compared to 2022. No 2023, 7 pawns and 7 motorcyclists lost their lives on the roads of the province. As explained by Abel Losada, this increase is mainly due to the number of dead pawns, since in the year 2022 no fatal atropello was recorded. Fortunately no cyclist and moped user lost their lives during the 2023.
Regarding the causes of accidents with fatal victims, the subdelegate indicated that road exits are behind 50% of fatal accidents, while atrocities and frontolateral collision are the cause of 23% and 13.6%, respectively, of accidents with loss of life.
Regarding the typology of deceased users, 15 victims were drivers, 7 pawns and 2 passengers. The average age of victims in the province over the past year was 52 years and 75% of those killed were men.
As for the most dangerous time slot, most fatal accidents continue to occur between 07:00 and 14:00 and from Monday to Friday.
Abel Losada pointed out that October was the worst month of 2023, as it recorded the highest number of fatal accidents (4) and fatalities (4), followed by the months of June and July. In June there were 3 accidents and 3 fatalities and in July another 3 fatalities and another 3 people died. These two summer months recorded 25% of the fatalities of 2023. However, the deputy delegate highlighted the fact that during the month of August there was no fatal accident.
Regarding the concurrent factors of accidents with victims in the province, Abel Losada wanted to warn that “excess speed was present in 36% of accidents with fatalities and in 23% of accidents with victims, as well as distracted driving, which also caused 36% of fatal accidents and 27% of accidents with victims.”
As for the checks carried out after the accidents, it was found that 5.7% of the injured drivers had consumed alcohol. In this respect, the Government’s deputy delegate reported that the Civil Traffic Guard carried out 200,392 alcoholemias last year, of which only 2.61% were positive. In addition, 3,773 drug tests were performed, which in 53.71% of cases were positive.
The deputy delegate took the opportunity to stress that “traffic accidents are mostly avoidable and that reducing these tragic figures is in our hands. We all redouble our efforts to that end.” He insisted that “from this Government and this Subdelegation we will continue to bet on comprehensive security policies to protect all people, especially vulnerable users, on the roads of the province.” Finally, Losada wanted to reiterate a “call to responsibility at the wheel, because avoiding distractions, respecting the rules and circulating the right speed are three simple elements that can excessively reduce these dramatic figures and the human tragedies behind them.”