Traffic fatalities: sharp increase especially among older people

While the number of traffic fatalities in Thuringia and Saxony decreased in 2022, it increased significantly in Saxony-Anhalt. Most notable was the fact that the number of traffic fatalities involving people 75 years and older tripled from the previous year's figure of 41, said Dekra's regional spokesman for central Germany, Mario Schwarz, on Thursday at the presentation of the testing company's road safety report. In 2022, 152 people died in road traffic in Saxony-Anhalt.

Compared to 2021, this corresponds to an increase of 34.5 percent, he said. In Saxony and Thuringia, the number of traffic fatalities declined by 8.5 and 2.3 percent, respectively. With 70 traffic fatalities per million inhabitants, Saxony-Anhalt is by far the leader nationwide, according to figures from the Federal Statistical Office. Nationwide, the average is 33 deaths per million inhabitants.

Schwarz appealed for a fundamental rethink with more consideration and sense of responsibility among road users in Saxony-Anhalt. In the first half of 2023, the number of traffic fatalities was already significantly below the figures of 2022, as the State Statistics Office had already reported last month.

As can be seen from the figures of the state office, most fatal accidents occur on federal and rural roads. There, almost half of the fatal accidents occurred last year. On highways, the proportion of traffic fatalities in Saxony-Anhalt has remained relatively stable at around 18 percent over the past four years.