In a recent press release from the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), it was reported that 77 individuals lost their lives in traffic accidents during the month of February. This marks a tragic increase of six fatalities compared to February last year.
The report unveils a concerning trend, revealing a surge in road incidents as mobility rose by 4.4% in comparison to February of the previous year.
Seatbelts
Throughout the month, 74 fatal traffic accidents were recorded, resulting in the loss of 77 lives. Shockingly, 14 of the victims were not utilising the appropriate safety systems at the time of the accidents. All of whom were travelling in cars without wearing seat belts.
The data further highlights a shift in the nature of accidents, with a decrease in fatalities caused by frontal collisions. However, this was offset by an increase in incidents involving road departures, rear-end collisions, and multiple-vehicle collisions.
Motorcyles
When analysing the means of transportation, individuals travelling by car and motorcycle experienced a rise in accidents. Meanwhile, pedestrian and cyclist fatalities decreased. The month saw an increase in road departures, side collisions, and rear-end collisions. This resulted in 33, 12, and 11 fatalities, respectively. In contrast, the number of fatalities due to frontal collisions decreased, with only 10 reported. That´s five less than in February 2023.
Regarding age groups, individuals aged 35 to 44 and 45 to 54 showed a significant increase in fatalities, with 20 and 14 deaths, respectively. This is compared to 13 and 8 in February 2023.
Examining the regional breakdown, February 2024 exhibited a pattern similar to that of the previous year across the autonomous communities.
Specific days stood out in the report, with the highest number of fatalities recorded on Sunday, February 4, Saturday, February 10, and Wednesday, February 28, each witnessing six tragic deaths. Conversely, four days in February recorded no fatalities in road accidents.
Increase in road deaths so far this year
The cumulative toll for the year is staggering, with 169 lives lost on the roads so far, indicating a worrisome increase of 23 fatalities compared to the same period in 2023.