This year, in June, there were 78 fatal traffic accidents on Spanish roads in which 87 people died, in a context where mobility increased by 1.2% compared to June of the previous year.
There has been an increase in side and front-side collisions, with 20 fatalities, while head-on collisions have decreased. Furthermore, 12 of the deceased were not using any safety devices at the time of the accident. This is according to statistics from the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) in Spain.
Accidents when only one vehicle involved
In the first semester of the year, 500 people have died in traffic accidents, 6% less than in the same period of 2022. During the month of June, 78 fatal accidents have been registered on the roads, resulting in 87 deaths, which is 9 fewer than in the same month of 2022. This comes as mobility has increased by 1.2% compared to the previous year, with 37.8 million long-distance movements recorded.
Reductions in fatalities are greater on highways and expressways compared to conventional roads. However, run-off-road accidents continue to be the type of accident with the highest number of fatalities. Specifically, 33 people have died during this month of June in accidents where only the involved vehicle was affected.
Types of collisions
Side and front-side collisions have increased, resulting in 20 fatalities compared to the 8 deaths that occurred in June 2022. On the other hand, head-on and rear-end collisions have decreased, with 15 and 10 fatalities respectively, compared to 23 and 11 deaths in June 2022.
When considering the mode of transportation, the number of vulnerable fatalities is the same as in June of the previous year: 30.
Seatbelts and helmets
Regarding the use of safety systems, 12 of the deceased did not use the corresponding safety device at the time of the accident: 9 car drivers, 1 van driver, and 1 truck driver weighing over 3,500kg were not wearing seat belts. Additionally, 1 motorcycle user was not wearing a helmet.
Autonomous communities
In terms of autonomous communities, Madrid has experienced the highest increase in accident rates, with 5 more fatalities than in June 2022 (4 of them died in the accident that took place in Moralzarzal on June 11). Andalucia and Catalonia have reduced their accident rates the most in June, with 6 fewer fatalities.
Highest number of deaths
The day with the highest number of fatalities was Sunday, June 11, with 10 deaths. In contrast, there was only 1 day with 0 fatalities: Monday, June 5.
Therefore, in the first semester of the year, although 500 people have died in traffic accidents, that is 31 fewer than in the same period of 2022 (-6%).
Summary of the first summer holiday traffic operation
During the first summer holiday traffic operation, which started at 3.00 pm on Friday, June 30, and ended at midnight on Sunday, July 2, there were 11 fatal accidents on the road, resulting in 11 deaths. Of the deceased, 4 were vulnerable road users (3 motorcyclists and 1 cyclist).
Of these, 9 accidents occurred on conventional roads, while the remaining 2 occurred on highways or expressways.
Additionally, 7 accidents involved vehicles running off the road, and 4 were collisions.
The number of long-distance journeys recorded during this first summer holiday traffic operation was 4.6 million, which is 5.8% more than the actual movements recorded during last year’s first summer operation.
Also read: DGT launches summer campaign to raise awareness on alcohol-related traffic accidents