Speed limits demanded
Traffic accidents cost €8.65 billion last year
Traffic accidents in Austria caused economic costs of €8.65 billion in the previous year. Due to the increase in the number of accidents and fatalities compared to 2022, accident costs rose by around 800 million euros. This was reported by Verkehrsclub Österreich (VCÖ) on Friday. In 2023, there were 402 deaths and 44,585 injuries in road accidents, the VCÖ referred to the latest data from Statistics Austria.
"Road accidents cause a lot of human suffering, many seriously injured people suffer from the consequences of accidents for the rest of their lives. And accidents also cause high economic costs," emphasized Katharina Jaschinsky from the VCÖ. The accident costs in the VCÖ analysis include treatment costs, deployment costs, property damage, costs to the economy due to lost working hours and sick leave, as well as the monetary valuation of suffering, pain and loss of quality of life.
Costs highest in Lower and Upper Austria
With the exception of Vorarlberg and Vienna, accident costs rose in all federal states. The economic costs were highest in Lower Austria with more than 1.8 billion euros, followed by Upper Austria with almost 1.6 billion euros and Styria with just over 1.5 billion euros. In Vienna, the most populous federal state, accident costs amounted to around 0.73 billion euros. Due to the dense public transport network and the lower speed in the city, road safety is higher and accident costs are lower, explained the VCÖ.
VCÖ points to the positive effect of speed limits
The traffic club called for more accident-preventing measures. One key lever is lower speed. "The laws of physics cannot be overridden. A lower speed limit means a shorter stopping distance, which reduces the number of accidents and the severity of injuries," explained Jaschinsky. More bus and train connections are also important as a further preventative measure. In municipalities and cities, traffic calming and traffic planning based on the safety of children and older people are needed. The cycling infrastructure should also be expanded in rural areas.
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