Of the 862 drivers who died in traffic accidents in 2023 and underwent autopsy and toxicological analysis, 53.6% tested positive for alcohol, drugs of abuse and/or psychotropic drugs, either alone or in combination, which is 0.8% more than in 2022, according to the ‘2023 Report on toxicological findings in fatal victims of traffic accidents’, prepared by the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences (INTCF), of the Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Courts.
The study, with samples from 1,197 people who died in traffic accidents during 2023, was presented this Thursday at an event in Madrid with the participation of the general director of the Public Justice Service, Mª del Àngels García Vidal; the director of the Madrid department of the INTCF, Carolina Sánchez de la Torre; the general director of Traffic, Pere Navarro; and the Government delegate for the National Plan on Drugs, Joan Ramón Villalbí.
By category, the research reveals that in 2023 there was a 2.8% decrease in alcohol detection, while positive tests for drugs (+2.3%) and psychotropic drugs (+1.1%) increased. Once again, alcohol continues to be the most frequently detected substance in deceased drivers (32.7%), followed by other drugs such as cocaine and cannabis (22.7%) and psychotropic drugs (15.7%).
As for the sex of the traffic fatalities who tested positive, the report indicates that they were mainly men (90%), compared to women (9.7%). However, the difference has narrowed slightly compared to 2022, with 2% fewer drivers and 1.7% more female drivers.
Regarding the majority age group of drivers with positive toxicology results, the 2023 Report reflects that it is still 25 to 54 years old (58.5%), although it has decreased compared to the previous year (63.6%).
Among drivers aged 18 to 34, fatal accidents with positive toxicology results occurred more frequently on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, while among drivers aged 45 to 54 the distribution was equal between working days and public holidays, and in the 55 to 64 age range these fatal accidents occurred mostly on working days. Regardless of age, 54.3% of these fatal accidents occurred on working days, while the remaining 45.7% occurred on public holidays.
Substances detected
The percentage distribution of deceased drivers with positive toxicological results, in relation to the type of substance detected was: 61% positive for alcohol, most of them (almost 70%) with a very high blood alcohol level, equal to or greater than 1.2 g/L and, therefore, with very severe degrees of intoxication; 42.4% positive for drugs, mainly cocaine and cannabis; and 29.2% positive for psychotropic drugs, mainly benzodiazepines.
Regarding the combination of different substances, the research reveals that the most common was the simultaneous presence of alcohol and cocaine (54.3%), alcohol and cannabis (19.1%) and alcohol, cocaine and cannabis together (13.8%). Compared to last year, these three places remain the same.
In 2023, there was a 16% increase in pedestrians killed by accidents who tested positive for toxicology for alcohol, drugs of abuse and psychotropic drugs, either singly or in combination, compared to 2022. Thus, 41.5% of the 200 pedestrians who died and underwent autopsy during 2023 tested positive.
By gender, there is also a higher prevalence of men, with 70.9% of pedestrians killed in these circumstances, compared to 29.1% of women. In addition, most of the deceased were aged 65 or older (35.9%), while, by substance, 49.6% tested positive for alcohol, 46.2% for psychotropic drugs and 37.6% for drugs of abuse, either alone or in combination.
During his speech, the Director General of Traffic, Pere Navarro, stressed that “accidents, fatal accidents and victims are increasing throughout Europe” and asked for “prudence” this summer. “It has cost us all a lot to get here. To get to this summer of well-deserved rest and vacation. Damn, let’s not ruin it now by having one drink too many or by arriving a few minutes early,” he asked drivers, whom he urged not to be “selfish” on the road and to remember that “only 0 has 0 consequences.”
For his part, the Government delegate for the National Plan on Drugs, Joan Ramón Villalbí, has drawn attention to the fact that in 2023 there are “hardly” any truck drivers who have tested positive, as well as “only” one minor, a moped driver, who had consumed alcohol. In addition, he has welcomed “a relatively sustained decrease in recent years” in positive tests for alcohol and cannabis, which he has described as “important and very positive”.
Finally, the Director General of the Public Justice Service, Mª del Àngels García Vidal, has valued the cooperation between the Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Courts and the Central Traffic Headquarters and has highlighted the importance of the information collected in the Report to acquire a better understanding of some of the causes of accidents, which can contribute to improving the definition of policies and decision-making in matters of road safety.
Source: www.eldiario.es
