Road safety
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Irene Quirante / Chus Heredia
Malaga
Tuesday, 16 January 2024, 16:53
A total of 38 deaths were reported on the roads of Malaga province last year, latest figures show.
There were 10 fatalities alone along just one notorious stretch of road on the A-355 in Coín last year, the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) data also revealed. The DGT fatality figure is the worst in six years and doubled the number of road deaths recorded in the province in 2018.
Malaga province ranked fifth for road fatalities in Spain in 2023, equal with Asturias. Madrid topped the list with 78 deaths, Barcelona (63), Valencia (46) and the Balearic Islands (41). In Spain, there were 1,145 lives lost on the roads, with 3.31% of those occurring in Malaga province.
The number of people hospitalised in the province also increased by 18.8% (19 people) and the number of non-hospitalised casualties fell by 43% (12 people), the data showed. The average age of those killed was 46 years old and 36 per cent of them were not wearing seat belts.
The 'road of death'
The A-355 between the Guadalhorce valley and the Costa del Sol counted for 26 per cent of fatal road accidents in 2023. Some 20,000 vehicles travel along the stretch every day, a lot more than initial forecasts. The amount of accidents that have occurred on the thoroughfare have alarmed residents in the area, and local authorities who have held meetings with the DGT about how to curb incidents. Authorities are currently considering installing road cameras.
The Junta has allocated money in its 2024 budget to improve road safety on the A-355. In recent months, a parapet has been installed on one of the viaducts; protective barriers have been placed along 4km of the route; there are also new road signs and markings.
The Junta is also considering painting a red line through the centre of the road in line with new road safety guidelines in Europe, and installing illuminated signs to warn drivers about their speed. The Junta is also considering widening the carriageway and installing a median strip.
Causes and types of accidents
The most common types of fatalities were run over (15.79%), collision with a vehicle or obstacle on the road (10.53%), collision with a moving vehicle (55.26%), losing control (10.53%) and overturning (7.89%). Distracted driving accounted for 56.7% of the deaths, while alcohol was a factor in 13.3% of fatalities, as was illegal speed. Fatigue also caused 10% of road deaths.
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