In 2021, 417 people died on urban roads, 102 fewer than in 2019, a 20 percent decrease in the death rate in one year, according to official figures from the Directorate-General for Transport DGT. The decline in urban deaths was reflected in vulnerable users, with a drop of 34% in cyclists, 31% in deaths over the age of 64, 26% in pedestrians and 17% in motorcyclists.
However, in the months of July and August of this year, a total of 225 people died on the country’s roads, a figure that represents 19% more than the fatalities in the same period last year and 5% more than in 2019, the reference year , according to the report of AECA-ITV. For example, the summer of 2022 has become the summer of the past three years with the highest number of traffic accidents.
While there are many factors that can cause this increase in road deaths, there is one that has a direct impact: the high absenteeism rate in ITV. According to the Spanish Association of Cooperative Entities of the Administration at the Technical Inspection of Vehicles at the end of August, the percentage of vehicles circulating on the roads of the country without the technical inspection up to date is about 40%, a figure representing 13% more than recorded in the same period of 2019, when absenteeism in the ITV was around 27%.
«The state of a vehicle’s technical inspection is directly related to its safety, as the preventive work of the ITV is essential to determine the conditions in which it is found and to reduce or avoid risks on the road. If a vehicle has a defect in one of its systems, it is more likely to cause or suffer an accident,” he assured.
William Magazdirector of AECA-ITV.
This is a risk that will increase over the years, so the aging of the car fleet in Spain is another factor that would lead to an increase in the number of road accidents. The chance of dying or being seriously injured increases as the vehicle ages.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
