The Federal Roads Office said on Friday that 160 people lost their lives in road accidents in the first half of 2011 – four fewer than in the same period in 2010.
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There was a slight increase in the number of people seriously injured, however the total (2,044) was still nine per cent under the average of the past five years.
Since 2006, the number of people killed on the roads has stagnated.
The roads office said inattentiveness or distractions while at the wheel were the main causes of accidents leading to serious injury (545 people in first six months of 2011). Speeding and driving while under the influence of alcohol were responsible for 378 and 279 serious injuries respectively.
A new road accident database introduced in 2010 has made it possible for the authorities to determine factors involved in accidents, such as whether cars with more powerful engines are more frequently involved, or whether more accidents occur on a particular road surface.
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Road accidents pursue downhill trend
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That was one of many different initiatives planned all over the country to mark the national action day on alcohol-related problems. The annual event is backed by a group of specialised organisations working in the area of alcohol dependency. Other towns marked the day with information stands, lectures and street theatre performances. There are estimated…
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Ten years in the making, the transport ministry’s Via Sicura package of measures has gradually been watered down from an initial 56 to a final 23 steps as a result of objections coming from different quarters. Gone are the most divisive points, such as plans to make helmets compulsory for cyclists – an idea rejected…
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