During the first half of the year, eleven people lost their lives in road accidents, ten of them motorcyclists and one a pedestrian. The number of people with serious injuries is directly comparable with last year and down by 20% compared to 2019. The figure for the most serious accidents (serious injuries and deaths) is 15% lower than for the first six months of 2019.

In all, 83 people sustained serious injuries (more than 24 hours in hospital) as a result of traffic accidents in the city. Drivers and riders sustained the most serious injuries (51), particularly motorcyclists (41). When it came to pedestrians, 12 of the 27 who sustained serious injuries were run over by motorbikes. The total number of seriously injured among the most vulnerable groups (motorcyclists, pedestrians, cyclists and people riding personal mobility vehicles) accounted for over 91% of those seriously injured.

Accidents with personal mobility vehicles still on the rise

Some 6,800 vehicles were involved in road accidents between January and June, slightly below 30% compared to the same period in 2019 and nearly 5% more than in 2021. Last year saw a significant rise in the number of accidents involving PMVs, and during the first six months of 2022 the figure was practically the same as last year with 397 accidents involving injuries, some 13.43% more.

Lack of attention as the main cause of accidents among drivers

The main direct cause of accidents among drivers is still a lack of attention when driving, or not respecting safety distances. In the case of pedestrians, accidents are caused by not respecting traffic lights when red or crossing at places where there are no pedestrian crossings. Alcohol continues to be the main indirect cause of road accidents, a factor that has increased by 18.5% compared to the first half of last year but is down by more than 21% compared with the same period in 2019. Finally, during the first six months of the year, the City Police took 2,326 statements from people relating to road safety, with 50 people detained and 2,265 investigated.