88 people killed in January on Spanish roads

The first month of 2015 ended with 88 deaths on Spanish roads, Spain's Directorate-General of Traffic (DGT) reported on Monday.

The DGT highlighted that the number of fatalities rose by 27 people (about 42 percent) when compared with January 2014, despite the fact that this January was typified by dry weather around the country, while last year saw a series of storms which seriously affected driving conditions in several areas of Spain.

However, the DGT also pointed out that although January 2015 saw a rise in road fatalities when compared with 2014, it was below the 2012 level, when 102 people died on Spain's roads in the first month of the year. Indeed, it is the third lowest number since statistics data began to be collected in 1962.

The fatalities occurred in 79 different accidents and the DGT pointed out that one of the contributing factors was that the average age of vehicles on Spanish roads is ten-and-a-half years, meaning a high number of cars on the road do not feature the latest road safety technology.

Another factor, the DGT said, was the low price of fuel, which lead to more cars being in circulation this January and more people on secondary roads, where 80 percent of the fatal accidents took place.

However, irrespective of the DGT's cited contributing factors, road users organizations are troubled by the rise in fatalities.

Ana Novella, the president of Stop Accidents reported on Spanish television that January had been a "horrendous, dizzying and dangerous" month for fatal car accidents.

"It is not all the fault of the crisis," Novella insisted, adding the DGT should "look at" its current measures because "in regards to road safety, you can never drop your guard." Endit