Road fatalities up by 10% in 2018

Road fatalities went up by 10% in 2018 in Catalonia, as 185 people lost their lives after a crash last year (168 were killed for the same reason in 2017).

Thus the upwards trend continues ever since 2016, when 153 people died on the road.

The figure in 2018 is the worst since 2012, when 194 people deceased in such circumstances, with the best ever being 2014 (140 deaths.)

Deaths of motorcyclists were 39, while that of pedestrians were 17 and cyclists 2, with the rest being people on 4-wheeled vehicles.

The figures in 2018 are far better than the previous year for cyclists, but pedestrians fatally run over were dramatically on the rise.

Accidents with only one vehicle involved have been up by 30%, and fatal accidents were 159 in the road network.

The year 2019 started with no fatalities during the New Year's celebrations, but on January 2 the count for the year began with an accident on the C-58 road.

Reduction of maximum speed

In late December 2018, the Spanish government passed a decree reducing the maximum speed allowed for minor roads from 100km/h to 90km/h. This, in order to decrease fatal accidents, 7 out 10 of which occur in such roads.

According to Spain's road network authority, surpassing the speed limit causes 20% of the victims every year.