No one can doubt that road safety has greatly improved in recent decades. If we go back to the national panorama of 60 years ago, it turns out that no less than 2,230 people died on our roads.
To adequately contextualize this terrible data, it is necessary to indicate that at that time there was a park on wheels made up of only 1.7 million units. Currently, with no less than 35 million vehicles in circulation, half of the deaths are recorded as a result of traffic accidents.
Among the main causes behind the reduction in traffic victims, the extraordinary evolution of vehicle safety systems over the years stands out.
The improvement of the Spanish road network also deserves special mention, which has been able to accumulate a considerable number of kilometers of express roads, which, as they have segregated directions of travel, are much less dangerous than conventional roads. Let's hope that the end of tolls does not mean an accelerated degradation of the highways.
It is fair to recognize that we are much better off than in the past, but it is also necessary to open our eyes to the statistics, which indicate a slowdown in the reduction in the number of victims in recent years.
Living with a very aging fleet of cars, whose average age reaches 14 years, is a huge problem when fighting death on the road. And if old vehicles are fitted with old tires, in addition to avoiding proper maintenance, it will be difficult for things to improve.
