The Covid-19 blockade reduced road deaths by an average of 36% in the European Union in April, according to the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC).
Italy, the first European country affected by the Covid-19 virus and the first to impose serious blockages, has noticed that its road deaths fall to 84%, road traffic has returned to general while the risk of coronavirus has decreased.
Other countries with strict blocking laws, such as Belgium, Spain, France and Greece, have noticed that the number of road deaths was reduced by more than 59%.
However, this was not universal, as road deaths in the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark remained unchanged or higher in the same month in the last 3 years.
Sweden, in particular, has been a recalcitrant of Covid-19 in Europe, insisting that collective immunity would benefit its citizens rather than breaking the transmission of the virus with a mask and strict locks.
In Italy, it has become illegal to drive a car without self-certification to claim that it was for must-see visits to the home, pharmacy or doctor. Police even checked the receipts on the back.
“The covid-19 blockade has led to a massive disruption of mobility in Europe,” said Dovil-Adminait, ETSB’s road safety performance index allocation manager.
“There have been positive adjustments, such as an increase in the number of other people walking and biking and installing ephemeral cycling infrastructure and lowering speed limits in dense urban areas.”
“However, in the long run there will be wonderful dangers if other people send in public and prioritize the use of cars in urban areas.
“We want to improve the infrastructure for walking and cycling in urban areas, but also in rural areas. If governments, cities and towns do not adapt to this new reality, the rescue of life on the roads during the closure may be soon cancelled.”
While the reduction in the number of unprecedented deaths in the EU, the rate of deaths and injuries did not fall at the same rate as the relief in the volume of traffic, the ETSB confirmed.
Data on acceleration or implementation rates in April are uneven, however, the STD has reported that driving faster on near-empty roads can have a particularly higher severity of accidents.
Official knowledge of Denmark showed a 10% increase in the speed of its blockade, while knowledge of French radar showed a 16% increase in the number of drivers traveling at least 50% faster than the published speed limit.
The ETSB showed that a British insurer that used telematics to monitor its young policyholders saw a 15% increase in speed alerts, Spanish constant speed cameras captured 39% more speeders on rural and open roads and 22% more Estonian drivers were left trapped. restriction on rural roads.
Sweden, however, has reported any accumulation of crimes on the pere.
However, the numbers are more complex than they appear at first glance, as the ETSB indicates that the onslaught offensives were more likely to be recorded through truck drivers and vans than motorists.
Data from Spain showed a bountiful build-up in the number of fatalities of heavy vehicle drivers and advised that drivers be working longer hours for the delivery of important products.
Some EU countries have even eased their rest limits for truck drivers at the worst of the Covid-19 crisis.
I’ve been testing cars and writing about the auto industry for over 25 years. My career began in the newspapers and became the writing of two
I have been testing cars and writing about the car business for more than 25 years. My career began in daily newspapers and developed into editorship of two automotive magazines. I’ve been based in Italy as a freelancer for more than a decade, covering the European car business, with a focus on product testing and product development for readers around the world. I judge the good and bad in cars how they perform their intended functions at their price points for their target customers against all of their competitors. I hold no short or long positions in the car industry, primarily because it could only compromise the integrity of my work, so my written positions are a condensation of available data mixed with about four full product cycles worth of experience.