After a sharp decline in the first two years of the pandemic, the number of road deaths in Austria rose again in the first half of 2022. By the end of June, 191 people had died in traffic accidents.
Compared to the first half of 2021 and 2020, this corresponds to an increase of 25 percent. The number of seniors injured or killed in accidents was particularly high, Statistics Austria reported Friday.
Across Austria, there were 20,181 traffic accidents in the first six months, 13.8 percent more than in the same period in 2021. There were 1,473 pedestrian injuries, 16.8 percent more than in the first half of 2021. 26 pedestrians died – here was there was a significant increase from 2021, when 15 pedestrians died in the first six months.
Number of cyclists involved in crashes increased by 45 percent
In addition, this year there was a new record for cyclists involved in crashes. After the highest number since registration the previous year, from January to June, with 4,079 cyclists involved in crashes, the number rose again by 19 percent in the first half of 2022 to 4,847 people. Compared to 2019, the number of cyclists involved in crashes has even increased by 45 percent in the first six months of 2022.
E-bikers: 175 percent increase
In particular, the number of people involved in accidents involving an e-bike has risen sharply and more and more people are also using such bicycles. In the first half of 2022, 1,442 e-bike riders were injured, 45 percent more than in the first half of 2021. In 2019, there were 524 in the same period, which corresponds to an increase of 175 percent this year. Among cyclists without an electric drive, the number of accidents increased by ten percent between the first six months of 2021 to 2022.
Just like last year, a total of 23 cyclists died in crashes between January and June 2022. Only five of the dead were wearing bicycle helmets in the accident. In comparison, the helmet percentage among injured cyclists was significantly higher at 40 percent.
57 seniors died in the first half of 2022
Since the start of digital recording in 1992, there have never been as many seniors involved in traffic accidents in the first half of the year as this year. Between January and June 2022, a total of 2,799 people aged 65 and older were injured in road accidents. That is 22 percent more than in the same period last year (2021: 2,288 victims). The number of seniors killed rose by 63 percent. 57 died in the first half of 2022, compared to 35 in the previous year.
Of the total of 191 road deaths in the first half of 2022, six were children under the age of 14, four of whom were younger than four years. Over the past seven years, this value was only higher in 2019, with eight children killed in accidents.
Most Alcohol Accidents in Burgenland
In the first half of 2022, the proportion of alcohol-related accidents was also the highest in the past 30 years. Eight percent of all traffic accidents involving personal injury in the first half of 2022 were alcohol-related accidents. In a comparison of the federal states, Burgenland had the highest share with twelve percent, followed by Styria and Vorarlberg with nine percent each. Across Austria, 15 people died in alcohol-related accidents.
Source: Krone
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.
