Accidents increase after overtaking ban above 20 km/h

On March 21, the new Traffic and Road Safety Act came into effect and one of the most controversial measures was to ban exceeding the speed limit on any road, even when overtaking. This point was especially criticized, as it would increase the danger on the road by increasing the time required for maneuvers.

The Director-General for Transport,
Peter Navarro, went so far as to admit that if their data indicated the figure was useless and the number of accidents increased, it could be reversed. However, this decision is made “after evaluation after the first year of application”.

It’s been barely a month since the new rule came into effect, and it’s hard to say whether drivers are following it or driving the same way they did two months ago. It is difficult to measure compliance without knowing how many fines have been issued for non-compliance.

However, traffic figures show that last April both the number of accidents and the number of deaths rose significantly, by 90 and 99 respectively. In comparison, in 2019 there were 69 accidents with 74 deaths.

Of the 99 who lost their lives in April – a month coinciding with Holy Week and the May long weekend – 76 died on conventional roads and the remaining 23 on highways and expressways. Conventional roads are usually much more dangerous and overtaking is a risk factor.

Recently, the DGT stressed in a tweet that “more than 70% of fatalities in accidents occur on conventional roads and overtaking is the leading cause of fatalities.”

The disaggregated data points to a different reality, the leading cause of death being the road exit, with 36 deaths in April. It is a posteriori difficult to know whether these deviations occurred as a result of dangerous overtaking or because of distraction, another risk factor that the DBT fights against.

A head-on collision claimed 27 lives in April. Compared to 2019, the data from before the outbreak of the health crisis represents an increase of two victims. In percentage terms it is an increase of 8%, but in terms of volume it is practically the same.

The head-on collision, although it involves overtaking,
represents barely 10% of fatalities in accidents occurred during this maneuver: 70% is due to the lane entering in the opposite direction. The reasons can be several: excessive speed in a bend, distraction or even drowsiness.

Source: La Verdad

Ida

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.