The Goal? Far fewer of these in 2010!
These days there is so much bad news to digest that to actually have some really good news makes me very happy. The Spanish road authority has reported that for the first time in modern history, Spanish annual road deaths have fallen to below two thousand.
This is a story about a positive end to 2009 and a positive start to 2010. Perhaps this is not as exciting as news that cars are being sold at giveaway prices, (they aren’t) or that suddenly there are jobs for everybody, (I wish), but the fact that fewer than two thousand people lost their lives on the road in 2009 is a major plus. Far fewer children lost their fathers or mothers, and there were fewer sad stories to be added to the mountain of doom and gloom that already exists.
When we arrived in Spain in the year 2000, life ended on the roads for 4295 unlucky people. They were involved in 3678 crashes. It was also very easy to see why these things were happening. Driving habits were terrible! There were people in those days who seemed to treat driving as though it were a contest in the bullring. Also, the attitude to alcohol was appalling, especially given that people started early in the morning and included alcohol in their activities throughout the day, and that included driving.
For 1992 the statistics are that 5,035 people died in 4,209 crashes. Over the intervening period of seventeen years the statistics have shown a very significant decline. By 1998 the figures had fallen to 4,289 people declared dead from 3,618 crashes. Something was at work making drivers more conscious of their driving habits. Also, roads have been improved greatly leading to safer surfaces upon which to travel.
Enter the points system around 2003-2004 and the figures were dramatic. In 2003 there were nine more deaths than 2002, but in 2004 there were 518 fewer deaths from 407 fewer crashes. 2005 was the point at which Spain turned the corner. That year 3,332 deaths were recorded from 2,876 crashes. People might not have been afraid of dying themselves in a crash, but by now we were driving in defence of our licenses, if not our lives. We could see light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel, and it was daylight.
During 2008 driving had continued to improve to the extent that 2,181 people died in 1,929 crashes. There must have been great celebrations at the DGT who are the people who are leading the campaign that says “To Return is most Important.” 2009 broke the threshold of 2000 deaths, resulting in 1,897 deaths. That is such excellent news and hopefully suggests that the day will not be far off when we can expect single digit figures. (Why not?) By simply resolving not to drive while impaired will almost be certain to return you home safely.
It is very unfortunate that many fatal crashes claim the lives of more than one person. That means many people who die are innocent of any wrongdoing. But, it also means that one reason for the declining rate is that many of the truly reckless are now simply bricks in the cemetery wall.
Nowhere is it written that if you use the roads you absolutely must die on them. Good luck and stay safe!
Congratulations to my fellow drivers! Keep up the good work.
Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael
These days there is so much bad news to digest that to actually have some really good news makes me very happy. The Spanish road authority has reported that for the first time in modern history, Spanish annual road deaths have fallen to below two thousand.
This is a story about a positive end to 2009 and a positive start to 2010. Perhaps this is not as exciting as news that cars are being sold at giveaway prices, (they aren’t) or that suddenly there are jobs for everybody, (I wish), but the fact that fewer than two thousand people lost their lives on the road in 2009 is a major plus. Far fewer children lost their fathers or mothers, and there were fewer sad stories to be added to the mountain of doom and gloom that already exists.
When we arrived in Spain in the year 2000, life ended on the roads for 4295 unlucky people. They were involved in 3678 crashes. It was also very easy to see why these things were happening. Driving habits were terrible! There were people in those days who seemed to treat driving as though it were a contest in the bullring. Also, the attitude to alcohol was appalling, especially given that people started early in the morning and included alcohol in their activities throughout the day, and that included driving.
For 1992 the statistics are that 5,035 people died in 4,209 crashes. Over the intervening period of seventeen years the statistics have shown a very significant decline. By 1998 the figures had fallen to 4,289 people declared dead from 3,618 crashes. Something was at work making drivers more conscious of their driving habits. Also, roads have been improved greatly leading to safer surfaces upon which to travel.
Enter the points system around 2003-2004 and the figures were dramatic. In 2003 there were nine more deaths than 2002, but in 2004 there were 518 fewer deaths from 407 fewer crashes. 2005 was the point at which Spain turned the corner. That year 3,332 deaths were recorded from 2,876 crashes. People might not have been afraid of dying themselves in a crash, but by now we were driving in defence of our licenses, if not our lives. We could see light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel, and it was daylight.
During 2008 driving had continued to improve to the extent that 2,181 people died in 1,929 crashes. There must have been great celebrations at the DGT who are the people who are leading the campaign that says “To Return is most Important.” 2009 broke the threshold of 2000 deaths, resulting in 1,897 deaths. That is such excellent news and hopefully suggests that the day will not be far off when we can expect single digit figures. (Why not?) By simply resolving not to drive while impaired will almost be certain to return you home safely.
It is very unfortunate that many fatal crashes claim the lives of more than one person. That means many people who die are innocent of any wrongdoing. But, it also means that one reason for the declining rate is that many of the truly reckless are now simply bricks in the cemetery wall.
Nowhere is it written that if you use the roads you absolutely must die on them. Good luck and stay safe!
Congratulations to my fellow drivers! Keep up the good work.
Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael
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