Increase in road accidents in Palma

THE average number of road accidents per month in Palma has increased by 11 percent in 2005, when compared to last year during which there were 5'133 accidents, whilst this year there have so far been 3'862. The main cause of road accidents in Palma is because drivers did not respect the give way signs (a total of 697 accidents), confirmed Alvaro Gijón, local councillor for Resident Safety. A further 655 accidents were due to drivers being distracted, 525 when cars are reversing, 470 for not keeping their distance and the remaining accidents were caused by diverse reasons. Alvaro Gijón said that the average monthly figures in Palma are higher than last year, and this is because there has been an increase in the number of people filing reports for indirect accidents (in which the police do not get involved). In this way the statistics for 2005 are “more or less” the same as last year, he added. This year the police and the Balearic government have started up a number of road awareness campaigns and they have more planned to end the year. Currently there is a seatbelt safety campaign in motion until the end of October, this will be followed by a speeding control, a helmet campaign and a drink driving campaign.