Fewer traffic deaths in Bavaria – but the CSU Minister has an appeal: "All of these accidents would be easily avoidable"

Created: 02/21/2022 15:03

By: Katarina Amtmann

Joachim Herrmann (CSU), Interior Minister of Bavaria.

© Armin Weigel/dpa

More accidents, fewer deaths.

This is evident from the current accident statistics.

There are particularly frequent crashes in Upper Bavaria, country roads prove to be particularly dangerous.

Munich - The number of traffic fatalities is a statistical value - but behind every victim there are personal fates and mostly desperate families.

In order to save even more people from this suffering, the roads in Bavaria should become even safer.

Interior Minister Herrmann (CSU) presents accident statistics: fewer road deaths in Bavaria

Step on the gas for a moment, just take a quick look at your cell phone.

These are moments that can have tragic consequences.

In 2021, 443 people died on Bavaria's roads, including seven children.

Traffic fatalities in Bavaria 2021

Too high or not adjusted speed played a role in about a quarter of the cases.

There were at least 16 deaths because drivers were distracted by their cell phones.

Even if there were 41 fewer road deaths than in 2020, Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) is relying on more controls.

"Because all of these accidents could easily be avoided if everyone followed the traffic rules," he said when presenting the traffic accident statistics for 2021 on Monday in Munich.

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Road fatalities in Bavaria: the accident record for 2021

• 359,002 accidents (around 14,000 more than in 2020)

• 56,683 people were injured, 9,803 of them seriously

• 443 dead

Accident statistics in Bavaria: Number of traffic deaths at the lowest level since records began

443 deaths - that's fewer than ever since records began more than 65 years ago, reported Herrmann and gave the figures for 1970 for comparison, when there were still 3897 accident deaths to be lamented.

59 of those killed were not wearing seat belts.

Alcohol and drugs at the wheel were involved in accidents that killed 34 people.

Accident statistics for Bavaria 2021: country roads particularly dangerous

Country roads proved particularly dangerous.

The number of accidents here rose by a good 9,000 to 115,606.

They ended fatally for 289 people (2020: 317).

One of the main reasons: too much speed.

"An open road shouldn't just be an invitation to race," said Herrmann.

He paid particular attention to motorcyclists, 108 of whom were killed in accidents.

That is around one in four traffic fatalities in Bavaria, explained the minister and recommended voluntary driver safety training in addition to a spring check of the machines.

There were 50 deaths on motorways (in 2020 there were 44), in towns there were 104 (2020: 123).

The most frequent crashes were in Upper Bavaria (20,913 accidents), followed by Swabia (8908), Middle Franconia (7439), Lower Bavaria (5640) and Lower Franconia (5024).

The Bavarian State Office for Statistics reported the fewest accidents for Upper Palatinate (4910) and Upper Franconia (4292).

All in all, Herrmann drew a positive balance: "We are on the right track when it comes to road safety".

It remains to be seen whether the trend will continue, as there is less traffic due to the corona pandemic.

He referred to the Road Safety Program 2030, which is intended to make the roads in Bavaria even safer.

In addition, the police will check more closely and, among other things, pay attention to speed, alcohol and drugs at the wheel, putting on the seat belt or using the smartphone.

Heavy traffic should also be in focus.

It was only on Saturday that a fire truck had an accident on the way to an operation.

The car hit a tree, the driver was trapped and seriously injured.