Heat and drugs, key factors in the increase in traffic accidents

View of a traffic accident in O Porriño, in Pontevedra, in April. SXENICK (EFE)

The downward trend has been broken and road deaths register worrying figures again this summer.

In July, 131 people (mostly men) lost their lives in a traffic accident, 12% more than in the same period of 2019, the reference year for not being influenced by the mobility restrictions of the pandemic.

The greatest increase was in deceased pedestrians, who went from 5 to 13. The increase in journeys, of 5%, does not explain by itself the rise in mortality, which is much higher.

Behind this data is mainly, according to the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) and the experts, the increase in temperatures, especially acute during the heat waves of the last month.

"We make mistakes in the heat, and mistakes on the road translate into accidents,"

.

According to the professor of Road Safety Luis Montoro, studies carried out at a global level show that during a strong heat wave the accident rate increases by up to 25%: “It can be comparable to a blood alcohol level of between 0.5 and 0 .8 grams per liter”.

Along these lines, the researchers found that the number of glances in the rear-view mirror is reduced by a quarter when it is very hot, and drivers make fewer gear changes.

"There is a lot of talk about meteorological phenomena such as rain, hail or snow, but heat is just as important or more so, because it affects our psychophysical capacities," he values.

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The main impact is the appearance of fatigue and tiredness, especially important risk factors in traffic accidents.

“The feeling of apathy decreases our ability to perceive and increases reaction time to stimuli.

We become more aggressive in driving”, observes Francisco Alonso, director of Intras, a traffic and road safety research center at the University of Valencia.

Air conditioning does not solve this problem.

Around five of the 37 million vehicles in operation do not have it, Montoro details, and in another three million it does not work properly.

In addition, many of the symptoms manifest even before we get into the car, for example, as a result of a poor night's sleep.

In the case of cars, the chances of suffering a blowout in a wheel increase, especially in the middle of the day, when the heat is stronger.

Vehicles heat up more and belt breakage or fluid leaks are also more frequent.

General increase in drug use

The figures for July confirm a reversal in the course followed so far that can be observed throughout 2022, except in March, the only month in which the cumulative number of deaths was lower than in 2019 (249 and 255 respectively). .

In all the others, the death figures exceed those registered then, reaching an average of 8% more.

If we compare it with last year, the increase reaches 18%.

Drug use, an upward trend in recent years, according to data and experts, is also behind this figure.

“Alcohol is still there, but unfortunately the use of other types of drugs is increasing.

The consumption of narcotics behind the wheel is growing alarmingly”, laments Ana Novella, director of STOP Accidentes.

Experts agree on this analysis.

According to the 2021 report of the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, 49.4% of the drivers who died in 2021 tested positive for the consumption of some type of substance, mainly alcohol.

This figure is slightly higher than that of 2021 (48.7%), but much higher than the minimum recorded in 2014, when 39.1% was recorded.

Although there is still no analysis on the current year, experts point to an increase.

"There is an increase in leisure activity associated with some factors such as alcohol or drugs," says Francisco Alonso, from Intras.

Montoro also points to other drugs, such as the increased consumption of drugs to help you sleep, which also affect driving skills.

The most worrying increase, however, occurs in those positive for cocaine use, which have gone from 6.5% in 2016, the lowest in the series, to 13.4% in 2021, slightly more than double.

The result of the toxicological analysis has led the DGT to launch this Monday and until August 14, a special campaign to intensify the control of alcohol and drugs at the wheel, which cause a quarter of fatal accidents.

In particular, Tráfico emphasizes the importance of awareness at this time of year, "in which holidays and patron saint festivities come together where alcohol consumption is common".

Mobility after the pandemic: massive, short and with less risk perception

The type of mobility after the lifting of the restrictions due to the pandemic has contributed to creating the “perfect storm”, in the words of the professor of Road Safety Luis Montoro.

According to this expert, the exits are being massive (The DT has registered 45.2 million movements in July, 1.9 million more than in 2019) and relatively short.

“Right now people don't have the money to spend 10, 15 or 20 days away like before, there are many weekend outings and people travel a lot by car.

They want to take advantage of time and we are seeing a very strong increase in speed”, he develops.

In addition, he points out, many people have stopped driving during the pandemic and now hit the road somewhat untrained. 

Ana Novella, from STOP Accidentes, also points to a lower perception of risk after the pandemic.

"That desire to get out is making people not assume or not see the serious consequences that reckless driving entails," she says.

Francisco Alonso, director of Intras, stresses this and goes further.

“The displacements are doing a bit in disarray.

In addition, the lower perception of risk is intimately influenced by the coronavirus itself.

People have a greater perception of the importance of this disease and road safety has taken a backseat”, he concludes.

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