The Government delegate in La Rioja, Beatriz Arraiz Nalda, and the provincial head of Traffic, Beatriz Zúñiga Reinares, presented this morning the measures included in the road accident crash plan in La Rioja for 2024. At the end of April, the Ministry of the Interior presented this plan for the whole of Spain, which has been implemented in the autonomous communities, in view of the increase in the accident rate in the first quarter of the year.

Arraiz Nalda has insisted that “we cannot remain impassive in the face of road accidents and it is imperative to promote measures to reduce road mortality”. Therefore, the Plan has been prepared as an immediate response to the evolution of the accident in the first quarter of 2024 in our country, with an increase in the number of deaths on Spanish roads of 16 percent, from 225 people died on interurban roads and 2023 to 261 in 2024.

Although La Rioja in this first period was one of the autonomous communities in which the number of deaths on interurban roads was reduced, from five to two, this last week we had to regret three deaths. For this reason, “all measures to reduce road accidents are always necessary”, stressed the delegate.

With regard to the Shock Plan for 2024 and with an immediate implementation, the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard has proposed for La Rioja a series of its own measures that aim to reduce the number of traffic accidents and their lethality in our autonomous community. They focus on increasing the number of troops, increasing surveillance on the roads, intensifying speed controls and the consumption of alcohol and drugs.

Furthermore, the implementation of specific operating devices for the prevention of the accident of motorcycles on interurban roads has been planned, as well as the intensification of the control of professional vehicles.

Another aspect in which action will be taken is the visibility of the Civil Guard on the road as a deterrent and prevention measure.

For her part, the provincial head of Traffic has specified that this year a total of eight people have died on the roads of Rioja, five in interurban areas and three in urban areas, two of the latter victims are vulnerable as a pedestrian and a motorcyclist.

As for the interurban roads, competition of the Civil Guard, two people have lost their lives on the N-232, one on the AP-68, one on an autonomous road and one on a road.

All fatal accidents have been caused by distraction, speed and one of the deceased was not wearing a safety belt. In addition, alcohol or drugs have been a concurrent factor in 10% of fatal accidents.

Despite the fact that the number of deaths in urban areas is lower than last year at this time, five compared to seven fatalities, Zúñiga Reinares explained that “the human factor is decisive and continuous work is necessary to continue working on social awareness of the seriousness of road accidents”.