Balearic road deaths down 27 percent this year

PALMA
A TOTAL of 42 people have died so far this year in accidents on Balearic roads, 16 less than during the same period in 2007 when 58 had lost their lives by the time the end of August was approaching. As a result, the mortality rate in relation to road deaths, is down 27.5 percent on last year.

According to information on the victims of such crashes during this year released by the General Traffic Directorate in Palma yesterday, 19 were under 30 years-of-age, and more than half (27 people) died in accidents on Majorca. In the accidents registered this year to date on the Islands, there have also been 30 injured and six victims who were not directly involved in the crash but were hurt as a result of it.

Looking separately at the data according to each island, the Traffic department figures showed that Majorca has not only had the highest death rate of all the Balearic Islands this year (27) of which 10 fatalities were under 30 years-of-age but also the highest rate for the number of injured (21). Of the 58 who had died by this time last year on Balearic roads, 46 of them had been killed on Majorca.

This year, most fatalities have occurred on the Island in March and May - seven people died in each of these months. There were also fatalities in April and July - three people died in each month. In the first 25 days of August, only one person died on Majorca's roads compared to three who died in the same period last year.

Meanwhile yesterday afternoon, Guardia Civil were called to a stretch of the Arenal motorway in the direction of Palma where a driver had lost control of his vehicle and overturned. Delays were caused with the stricken vehicle blocking all carriageways. Miraculously, there were no serious injuries.