Hopeful news in the balance of people deceased in urban areas and populations in 2024. The data presented this Thursday by and the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) reflect that 488 people lost their lives in the cities, which represents 30 less than the previous year and a reduction of 6%. The negative fact is that the so -called vulnerable users (pedestrians, bikers and cyclists) remain at the head of this blacklist of deaths.
For 2024, they registered in which 5,043 people had to be hospitalized. There was an increase of 3% of serious injured, with 123 more people, compared to 2023.
“A 6% decrease in the number of deaths in our cities is, without a doubt, a very good news for urban road safety. Thanks to the commitment of administrations and the awareness of citizens, we are immersed in a continuous process of improvement, which encourages us to continue advancing in the protection of the most vulnerable users,” said the general secretary of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, Luís Martínez-Sicluna during the presentation.
For his part, the general director of Traffic, Pere Navarro, stressed that he is working on “the good path” and that the data of the descent in the number of deaths reflects that Spanish cities are “safer than the European average.” “The 6% decrease is a hopeful fact and added.
The populations registered two out of three road accidents in 2024. They accumulate 27% total deaths and 53% of serious injured, according to the data presented this Thursday. Vulnerable users represent 79%of the deceased: 206 pedestrians (42%of the total), 139 bikers (28%), 26 cyclists (5%) and 13 users of people mobility vehicles, those known as VMP or skateboard, (3%). This means, according to Pere Navarro, that the most sustainable or active transport modes are the most exposed, hence specific protection and urban design policies focused on the safety of the most vulnerable are necessary.
People over 65 are the predominant among the pedestrians run over, with two out of three cases. In motorists the profile is a person between 25 and 54, with 57% of cases. The DGT has commissioned a study to verify that incidence has the use of mobile phone in pedestrians, for the distractions it produces when crossing streets and roads.
Pedestrian abuses represent 42% of the deceased, followed by the way out of the road (22%). The latter especially affect bikers, that lateral and frontolateral collisions, frequent at crosses and intersections, were responsible for 13% of urban deaths.
Security systems
A worrying fact, according to Pere Navarro, is that 28% of the deceased did not carry any security system: 14 of 18 cyclists did not wear a helmet and five of the nine fatal victims users of VMP either used it either. The situation is aggravated among cars occupants, where 25 of the 60 dead people (42%) did not wear the seat belt. “This usually occurs in the rear seats, where people are still not used to using it. New cars already have a sneak that emits a beep,” said the general director of traffic. In the case of motorists,
A fact that attracts attention in the balance is that 30% of the deceased were recorded in populations of between 100,000 and 500,000 inhabitants, so
To the data of urban roads we must add those of the interurban roads to have the global computation of the road accidents in 2024 to 30 days. Last year 1,785 people died in traffic claims and another 9,561 suffered wounds that required hospital admission, figures that suppose 21 deaths less and 296 hospitalized more than in 2023. This slight decrease in the number of deaths has occurred in a context of greater mobility, in which 462.8 million displacements have been recorded by long -distance by interurban 3.15% more than the previous year.
Pere Navarro recalled that distractions are the main death factor at the wheel – especially, for the use of the mobile phone – followed by alcohol and inappropriate speed. He stressed that an important factor in the reduction of mortality has been the implementation of the 30 -kilometer limit per hour in urban roads with a single lane per sense of circulation. It was the first country in the world to impose it, which was very well received by the municipalities. “It was seen that it was the speed at which all the users of the road could live together and that they could occur injured, but not dead. This was an important calm of the traffic,” said the director, who thanked the work of the 70,000 agents of the local police officers of the 1,700 municipalities of Spain.
He has also called for more attention while driving a vehicle: “driving we are banalizing it and it is a very serious thing. In the DGT we always say that the hands in the steering wheel and view on the road and in the environment”, in clear reference to never use the mobile phone.
