The specialty company Rivekids produces a ‘hazard traffic light’ that turns these three variables red. In addition, the insufficient number of agents of the Traffic Civil Guard is condemned.

The latest DGT data shows that 438 people died in road accidents between January and May. It is 27.3% higher than 2021 and 5.5% higher than 2019. Although it rains: Since 2014, global statistics have moved between stagnation and volatility, to bid goodbye to the singular decade of loss reduction experienced between 2004 and 2013.

What’s hidden behind? RiveKids, a company specializing in road safety, says failure to manage three major factors in accidents: the road, the driver and the vehicle. He invented “road safety’s first traffic light” and has three variables shown in red. « Spain has a very high risk of accident, extreme. And we don’t see any indicators that the situation will reverse,” says its CEO Jose Lagunar.

agent alert

They think the same way in the Spanish Association of Civil Guards (AEGC): «We have been warning for a long time bad road conditions; of very old and poorly maintained cars; increased disobedience to basic norms and a shortage of traffic agents”, explains AEGC Secretary Fernando García Poves.

There are approximately 8,700 agents today, compared to more than 10,000 in 2010. And his training has dropped to six to four months. These are the shortcomings that impact on accident rates, as Ramon Rueda, the former general-chief of the traffic association, acknowledged in 2021: “Law compliance is scary, but the presence of agents makes it more. And less than it should be.

Worst sidewalk in 20 years

In fact, studies have considered them – for scientific purposes – as another element of the path. The reformer is not alone. According to the Spanish Road Association, 10% of roads are in “very poor” condition with the worst pavement in 20 years. 38,500 kilometers required repainting, 374,000 code three signs to renew—prohibition or obligation—and 72% of all had expired.

As far as the human aspect is concerned, the rate of not using a seat belt or child seat (much higher if translated into absolute figures) stands out. That’s 1.3%, which is barely a tenth higher than those positive for alcohol or drugs in control campaigns. However, violations of the rules happen inside and outside the vehicle: three out of four victims are due to the carelessness of drivers; But at the same time, almost half of the dead pedestrians did not follow any rules.

In this chapter, it focuses on what happens in schools and what doesn’t. In its vicinity where more violations and irregularities are concentrated. Driver education, on the other hand, remains distinctive because of its absence within them. This newspaper has already published that hardly 45 hours will be given in 10 years of compulsory education. To which it should be added that there is no continuous training. The people who get their card find it difficult to renew it every 10 or five years, depending on their age.

Finally, the vehicle. That’s nothing: up to 40% didn’t pass ITV in the last year, the average age is over 13 and Four out of 10 are over 15, so they don’t have many active and passive safety systems that prevent accidents or reduce their effects.

closed budget

However, the work would be incomplete without a solution being proposed. Many failures are reaped by re-reading. Others are hackneyed, such as more modern and not always in favor of buying new cars. However, the report Rejects that DGT’s campaigns have impact and proposes that each administration efficiently block a portion of its budget for roads annually. To orient himself, Laguna recalls that each of the deceased in the accident cost the society 1.5 million euros.

To this they can add a public channel to condemn the defects of the tracks. And these should be resolved within a maximum of three months, Such as removing the most damaging and outdated guard rails; Or if necessary, a longer period can be justified.