The delegate of the Government in La Rioja, Beatriz Arraiz Nalda, chaired this morning the Autonomous Commission of Traffic, Road Safety and Sustainable Mobility, a consultative collegiate body for the promotion and improvement of traffic and road safety in the urban and interurban area in the Autonomous Community of La Rioja.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the General Administration of the State with competence directly or indirectly related to traffic and road safety; of the Autonomous Community of La Rioja and Local Entities; traffic representatives of the State Security Forces and Bodies; and professionals from the business, economic and social sectors of La Rioja.
Arraiz Nalda stressed that “those of us who represent the administrations are direct actors who work closely together to reduce traffic accidents, but it is the whole of society that must be aware that this important issue concerns us all”.
For her part, the provincial head of Traffic, Beatriz Zúñiga Reinares, has specified that in 2000 there were 48 deaths in interurban roads in Rioja, 40 in 2005 and 10 in 2022. “There is still a lot to do, because we are not talking about figures, but about people. Therefore, the joint actions that are being worked on in this Commission aim to reduce road accidents and raise awareness among drivers and users of the road that can be achieved together,” he explained.
Within the accident balance of last year, Zúñiga Reinares has pointed out that there are significant data that demonstrate the importance of awareness and road education. Of those killed in 2022, 1 in 3 drivers or passengers in a vehicle did not wear a seatbelt. Likewise, in 13.9% of accidents involving victims, alcohol and drug consumption was a direct or indirect cause that has influenced.
The Chief of Traffic added that the DGT collaborates intensively with local police in training and campaigns to control alcohol and drug consumption while driving. In this regard, he has detailed that more than 52% of the tests carried out by local police in 2022 tested positive for alcohol and more than 61% for drugs.
On the other hand, the Commission has addressed how the owners of the different roads in La Rioja can improve road safety in them. For its part, the DGT is going to continue buying fixed and section radars to assess on which roads they can be implemented, “not with a desire to collect or intimidate drivers, but to improve surveillance and increase safety on the roads.”
Road safety seal in companies
Likewise, Zúñiga Reinares pointed out that the DGT is working with the Government of La Rioja on a collaboration protocol to implement a road safety seal in Rioja companies and reduce accidents in itinere. The idea is for any company in La Rioja to draw up different action plans, with a real commitment because its implementation will be assessed, which are aimed at raising awareness and training in road safety for its workers or, among other measures, improving the conditions of vehicles and periodic reviews of them.
“The main goal is for road safety training to be part of the company. Many times it may seem that it entails an economic cost, but in the end it is an investment in road safety and life for the company and its workers,” he concluded.