Analysis of traffic accidents in the European Union
Is Spain the country with the most accidents in the European Union?
It's common to find yourself in a conversation about whether Spain has the highest number of road accidents and fatalities in the European Union. This has led to the myth that it's the country with the highest number of injuries and deaths resulting from these types of accidents. Let's see if the real figures reflect this assumption.
If we compare the progression in the period 2010-2020 we can see that Romania is in first place for deaths per million inhabitants, with 117 deaths in 2017 and 85 in 2020. This initial data gives us an idea that the trend in the EU has been downwards, in the case of Romania, by 31%.
Analyzing the situation in countries with a lower mortality rate per million inhabitants, such as Sweden and Finland, 28 and 51 respectively in 2010, falling to 18 and 40 in 2020, we can see that, in these cases, where driving is more dangerous due to inclement weather, there has also been a decrease in accidents of 23% and 18% respectively.
Having made an initial observation of the two extremes of the EU's progression,
Where is Spain located?
A preliminary analysis of the response should focus on the number of accidents that occur on our roads and other transport routes within the country. In 2010, there were 85,503 accidents resulting in injuries or fatalities. A decade later, this figure had fallen to 72,959, a 15% decrease achieved through the adoption of various measures, ranging from those provided by different laws passed to increased public awareness.
The case initially presented may seem encouraging, although it still leaves us far from the goal of Zero Victims. It is true that this reduction has also been accompanied by a decrease in the number of deaths, from 53 per million in 2010 to 29 in 2020. This 45% reduction places Spain among the three countries with the greatest decrease in this fatality.
Let's analyze real numbers to assess our individual situation:
In 2019 there were 1,755 deaths in Spain as a result of traffic accidents.
Over the past two decades, we have been bringing the death figures below the EU average.
The number of deaths on our roads can be seen as a consequence of the increased use of motorcycles as a means of transport. However, contrary to popular belief, the proportion of deaths in the 18-24 age group is much lower than the EU average.
Although everything mentioned above gives cause for pride in the improvement, we must not ignore the fact that there has been a significant increase in the number of accidents and deaths involving cyclists.
Causes and factors of accidents in Spain
Other relevant aspects for understanding the current situation would be the analysis of the reasons why accidents continue to occur.
Overall, speeding and distracted driving are reported less than the European average.
On the contrary, there is a greater mobility of motorcyclists under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
To all this we must add a higher density of traffic on the highways that run through the Spanish state.
Social issues also directly affect the accident statistics mentioned earlier. Specifically, we could highlight the perception that speed controls are useful tools for raising public awareness. In turn, the increased number of breathalyzer and drug tests carried out within our borders facilitates a transformation in driver education.
Another way to analyze this would be to interpret the number of fatalities in relation to the number of vehicles on the road. This way, we wouldn't be analyzing the total population, but rather the relationship between traffic volume and road deaths.
The latest data published by Eurostat shows that in 2019 in the EU there were 0.88 deaths per 10,000 registered vehicles. In Spain, during the same period, this figure was 0.52.
Conclusions: the remaining challenge with cyclists
We will conclude this article by stating that, in Spain, very good work is being done, although it can be improved. In particular, we should focus our efforts on cyclist safety. This group is the only one of all those analyzed that has suffered a significant increase in the number of accidents. The number has risen from 63 in the 2010-2012 period to 72 in the 2017-2019 period. This 14% increase must become our target for reduction as we move towards achieving Zero Victims on our roads. We hope that the new "Cycling Law," and the accompanying amendment to the penal code, will help raise awareness of the need to protect this vulnerable group.