​From January 1 to September 13 this year, almost 3,000 serious road accidents occurred, resulting in 1,006 deaths, 2,339 serious injuries, and 1,409 minor injuries, according to the latest data from the General Inspection. Police of Romania (IGPR).

Car accident in BucharestPhoto: Inquam Photos / Eduard Vînatoru

This was reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs on Tuesday, October 3, during a survey of the UDR deputy about the situation with serious road accidents for 8 months of this year.

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The main causes of accidents and the number of victims

According to the police, the main causes of serious road accidents recorded this year were:

  • 1. indiscipline of pedestrians: 515 serious road accidents, resulting in 199 deaths, 320 serious injuries, and 20 minor injuries:
  • 2. speed: 497 serious traffic accidents, resulting in 193 deaths, 416 serious injuries and 448 minor injuries;
  • 3. indiscipline of bicycle drivers: 402 serious road accidents in which 88 people died, 319 were seriously injured, 10 more were lightly injured,
  • 4. failure to give preference to pedestrians: 248 road accidents with a severe degree of severity, as a result of which 46 people died, 205 people were seriously injured, 17 people received minor injuries;
  • 5. not giving preference to vehicles: 246 serious accidents resulting in 59 deaths, 212 serious injuries and 181 minor injuries.

We also note that the Ministry of the Interior, through the General Inspectorate of the Police of Romania, conducts a proper inspection and takes all necessary measures to improve the road safety of road users through various information activities for citizens, which are carried out at the national level by the structures of specialty and traffic monitoring.

How the MAI wants to reduce the number of road accidents and victims on the roads

The Ministry of Internal Affairs says that last year the Government adopted a national road safety strategy for 2022-2030, which contains an investment plan and measures to reduce the number of dead/seriously injured people by 50% by 2030.

“One of the ways to implement this strategy in practice is to improve the road infrastructure through various investments in public road sectors aimed at improving the safety of road users.

In addition, speed limiters, mobile radars and video cameras will be purchased, which will be combined into an integrated system, which will ensure an increase in traffic safety on public roads and a reduction in the number of accidents,” the MAI notes.

4,710 serious road accidents across the country in 2022: victims and causes

Last year, 4,710 serious road accidents were registered in the country, as a result of which 1,631 people died, and another 3,685 people were seriously injured.

The relevant information is contained in other statistics provided to the MAI after questioning USR MP Mihai Botez.

The police officers also detailed the main causes of road accidents, and, surprisingly, speeding is in the first place. And the infrastructure is not bad.

The main causes of road accidents were pedestrian indiscipline (893 road accidents), as a result of which 372 people died, another 539 were seriously injured, speeding (inappropriate speed + irregular speed), 820 road accidents were recorded, as a result of which 318 people died and another 669 were seriously injured.

Violations of cyclists resulted in 512 accidents in which 125 people died and 387 were seriously injured.

Failure to give way to pedestrians resulted in 448 traffic accidents, resulting in 85 deaths and 376 serious injuries.