On the occasion of the celebration of the World Day of Remembrance for Victims of Road Traffic Accidents, the Subdelegate of the Government, José María Martín, accompanied by the provincial head of Traffic, José María Méndez and the captain of the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard, Eduardo Fernández Tarifa, has participated in a minute of silence in memory of all the people who have died due to road accidents and in homage to their families and all those who are dedicated to the support and rescue of victims of road accidents.
So far this year, 28 people have died in traffic accidents in the province of Almería, 17 of them on the road and 11 on urban roads, mainly due to being run over. In the latter case, the figure is significantly higher than that recorded in 2023, when 4 people lost their lives in traffic accidents in urban areas. “At some point in the day, we are all pedestrians. We cannot turn crossing a public road into a cause of life or death,” said the provincial head of Traffic, José María Méndez.
The Government’s sub-delegate has insisted that the public must continue to be made aware that many accidents «are avoidable» and that appropriate measures must be taken to prevent them from happening. «All the suffering caused by traffic accidents, the loss of life, is avoidable and is in our hands,» said José María Martín, who recalled that «zero risk means zero alcohol and zero drug use. We must respect all signs and take maximum precautions so that we do not have to regret a single more victim,» he said.
The provincial head of traffic has pointed out that the DGT is continuing to work against the three factors that are the main causes of accidents: distractions while driving, alcohol and drug consumption and speeding.
As regards the first of these, José María Méndez has pointed out that distractions are the cause of a significant loss in the points system, from 3 to 6. On the other hand, in terms of alcohol and drug consumption, work is already being done on a reform to reduce the blood alcohol level to 0.2gm (current regulations establish a general blood alcohol level of 0.5 grams per litre in blood and 0.3 g/l for professional or novice drivers) and to reduce speed, a new radar plan will soon come into operation throughout the country, including the province of Almería.