Road safety is a constant priority for governments and traffic organizations around the world. Among the multiple factors that influence the accident rate on the roads, speed has stood out as one of the most critical and recurring elements. In line with this concern, the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) as well as the agencies in charge of the matter in Catalonia and the Basque Country, have deployed more than 2,000 fixed speed cameras on Spanish roads that are also complemented with mobile cinemometers, helicopters and drones. , among other means.
Even so, speeding offenses are the most common in Spain. Two out of every three traffic fines imposed in our country are for exceeding the speed limit, which does not hide a worrying trend that in some cases has serious consequences. Between 2011 and 2020, almost 4,500 people died in accidents where speeding was present, according to a study by Fundación Mapfre.
In this alarming context, an accident that occurred at the beginning of the year in Navarra has once again highlighted the inherent dangers of speeding. Just a few days ago, Diario de Navarra announced that a car that was involved in a fatal road accident reached the shocking speed of 250 km/h. The data has been accredited by the Traffic Reports unit of the Foral Police of Navarra.
"Surely very serious accidents have occurred at such a high speed in other European countries, what is remarkable on this occasion is having been able to recover the data that certifies it," declared the provincial police officer Pablo Esquisabel Otamendi to Diario de Navarra. He thus stressed the agent the importance of being able to prove the real speed at which the vehicle was traveling, something that is not always possible.
For now, no other details about the accident have been disclosed since the facts are under summary secrecy. It has only transpired that at least one person died, but the place and date where the incident occurred is unknown, as well as whether other people were injured. The case is still in the investigation phase, but the Provincial Police have already advanced some conclusions in their proceedings, which have been reported to the media.
To establish the speed at which the damaged vehicle was traveling, the investigators have had the invaluable help of the car's airbag control unit, also known as a black box. This element collects and stores vehicle information in order to clarify a posteriori what happened before, during and after an accident. It is the size of a mobile phone and will be mandatory in all new cars sold in Europe from July 2024.
The black box of the car plays a crucial role in the reconstruction of traffic accidents, since they record a wide range of significant variables. These devices check essential data, such as the intensity of braking, the speed of the vehicle at that moment, the force of frontal and side impacts. It also monitors engine revs, steering movements, accelerator position and the operation of safety systems, including airbags and seat belts.
The switchboard also documents the weather conditions present at the exact moment of impact.
This is the first time in Spain that a speed of 250 km/h has been recorded in a fatal traffic accident. According to sources close to the investigation, there is a possibility that this figure is the highest documented in all of Europe.
