Summer road deaths down 10 percent

A total of 235 people lost their lives on Spain’s roads during the summer months, which represents a fall of 10 percent compared to the same period during the previous year. The figures for July and August were described on Tuesday by the interior minister, Jorge Fernández Díaz, as “encouraging.”

The minister went on to highlight the fact that 25 fewer people died on the roads this summer compared to last year, when, he said, “significant quotas” in terms of accident reduction had already been achieved.

Not since the 1960s has Spain seen such a low level of deaths on the roads as that seen in the last two years, in part thanks to a series of government campaigns over the last decade or so, and the introduction of a license penalty points system in 2006.

The Interior Ministry also pointed out that the statistics for last summer cover a slightly longer period, given that September 2 fell on a Sunday in 2012 – the last Sunday in August usually sees a high number of car journeys given that it is the end of the traditional vacation period in Spain. That means, the minister explained, that if those days are ignored, this year’s figures are even more positive, with a fall of 30 victims.

Despite the positive figures, Fernández Díaz said that the news was no cause “to feel satisfied,” given that “one single victim is an excellent reason to carry on working.”

He also insisted that Spain is “continuously reducing” the accident rate, and “improving safety on the roads.”