Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 2
Number of fatalities in road accidents per million inhabitants. Evolution 2000-2010
(CARE 2008, DGT 2007, EUROSTAT 2008, INE 2008)
Other relative indicators worth mentioning are the percentage of victims, when
broken down into urban and country roads, in comparison with the total number of
traffic victims. These indicators underscore the fact that the value is always higher for
country roads than for urban roads, although the values are heterogeneous (57% in
Barcelona and 72% in Madrid, compared to 97% in Avila and 94% in Cuenca,
for 2006). Also worth noting is the relative indicator regarding number of fatalities
for every 1,000 accidents with victims (fatal and non-fatal), which is decreasing in
Spain (41 in 2006 compared to 57 in 2000) and even more disperse (14 in Barcelona,
17 in Madrid and 25 in Vizcaya, compared to 99 in Almería and 83 in Ciudad Real).
Conclusions and Discussion
Generally speaking, the accident rate is decreasing, albeit unevenly, and with very
heterogeneous values. A certain more or less pronounced negative correlation can
be seen, depending on the relative indicator analyzed, between the accident rate and
the characteristics of the geographical area considered, according to whether it is
densely-populated, developed, urban, flat, coastal, … But the great dispersion of the
results highlights the need for micro-investigations which would make it possible to
detect local situations (black spots…), and to break down the indicators by sex, age,
proximity to major urban areas etc. and to determine their causes. This would enable
non-linear and de-concentrated decisions to be taken by provincial delegations of the
Interior Ministry, regional governments and local councils, among others.
In any case, the desirable value for all road accident indicators should be zero,
while the critical and objective values may vary according to the geographical area
