In 2022, there were 649 sinister roads with victims on the roads of Rioja in which 12 people died - 10 on interurban roads and 2 in urban areas - and another 73 were seriously injured. These figures represent 6 fewer deaths than in 2019, the reference year and prior to the pandemic.
With regard to 2021, there are 2 more fatalities in traffic accidents in 2022.
The delegate of the Government in La Rioja, Beatriz Arraiz Nalda, pointed out this Monday during the presentation of the provisional balance of road accident 2022 in La Rioja that one of the most important objectives of publicizing this data is to continue working “to tackle the causes, reduce deaths and serious injuries and also contribute to raise awareness of the drama of road accidents and their painful consequences.”
“They’re not just numbers. They are people who have lost their lives or suffered serious injuries in most cases in an avoidable way and behind each of them there is a lot of suffering,” he insisted.
Analysing the data on deaths on interurban and urban roads during the past year in La Rioja, the Government delegate explained that of the 12 people who died, 9 were drivers or passengers travelling in cars or vans, 2 pedestrians and 1 motorcycle driver.
“It is striking to see that 1 in 3 of the fatalities driving in cars or vans did not use a seatbelt at the time of the accident. Once again, we insist that a simple gesture, like putting on a belt, saves lives and very serious injuries,” he said.
In this regard, he explained that the belt is the most important element for passive safety because it is the only brake of the body in case of impact, both for the driver and for the rest of passengers, both in the front and rear seats. Without this device, for example, in a crash at 80 km/h against a rigid object the occupants of the car would be thrown forward with a force 80 times greater than their weight.
For her part, the Provincial Head of Traffic, Beatriz Zúñiga Reinares, has stressed the importance of making the whole society aware of the importance of respecting traffic and road safety standards.
He has specified that of the 12 deaths last year, 7 were drivers, 3 were passengers - a 20-year-old girl, an 18-year-old girl and a young girl - and 2 pedestrians. “These data show that on the road and on the roads we are not alone, that they must and must respect us and in the end, the opposite behaviors and actions in road safety can affect our life, that of those who accompany us in the vehicle and that of other road users,” he insisted. For this reason, he added that “we can all be victims of a traffic accident”.
As for vulnerable groups, Zúñiga Reinares has specified that of the 12 deceased, 2 were pedestrians and 1 drove a motorcycle, so 1 in 4 of the deceased was vulnerable.
On the other hand, he pointed out that the consumption of alcohol and/or drugs was a direct cause of the accident in one of the fatal accidents. But in addition, in 6 of the accidents with victims, alcohol and/or drug consumption was a direct cause and in another 23 more accidents, 13.9% of the total, the influence of alcohol and/or drug consumption in the accident was key.
“The message that since the 1980s and 1990s has not been tired of pronouncing the DGT is ‘if you drink don’t drive’ and the ‘only road rate should be 0.0’. In the 21st century, we still need to remember them and make them aware of the fact that they do not use alcohol or drugs while driving,” he said.
DEEP
By type of routes: Regarding interurban roads, there are 10 people who lost their lives in 2022 in La Rioja. Of these, 8 were riding as drivers or passengers in a car or van, 1 on a motorcycle and 1 was a pedestrian.
The two fatalities in urban areas correspond to a pedestrian and a passenger in a car. It is in these urban areas that the most serious injuries are recorded, 27 of the total of 73 in 2022.
For the type of road on which the sinister road with fatalities occurred: 3 on roads of the State Network, 1 in the AP-68, 6 in the Autonomous Network, 0 in neighborhood roads and 2 in urban area.
Type of accident:
On interurban roads, of the 10 fatal accidents recorded in 2022, 5 were road exits, 4 collisions and 1 hitting a pedestrian.
On urban roads, they went for 1 way out and 1 run over a pedestrian.
Direct causes of accidents:
The 10 deaths in traffic accidents on interurban roads lost their lives due to the following causes: 3 distraction/drowsiness, 2 by inappropriate speed, 2 by invasion of the opposite direction, 1 by not keeping the safety distance and 1 by incorrect transit.
The causes of the two sinister roads that led to two deaths on urban roads were one of them for not respecting the passage of pedestrians and another for alcohol consumption.
Condition, sex and age of the victims:
A total of 7 drivers, 3 passengers and 2 pedestrians lost their lives on Rioja’s roads in 2022. Of these, eight men and four women.
The age group between 50 and 59 years is the one in which the highest number of deaths has occurred (3). In total, the ages of the 12 victims were:
- Under 18 years of age: 1
- 18 to 19 years: 1
- 20 to 29 years: 2
- 30 to 39 years: 1
- 40 to 49: 1
- 50 to 59 years: 3
- 60 to 69 years: 2
- 70 or more: 1.