According to the ADAC, the number of road fatalities is expected to decline slightly this year, with an estimated 2,760 fatalities, the automobil club announced, as reported by the Funke-Mediengruppe newspapers (Thursday editions).
Last year, 2,839 people were killed in traffic accidents. In addition to the predicted 2.8% decline in road fatalities, the ADAC also expects a 2.0% decrease in the number of people injured, with an estimated 362,000 people injured this year, compared to 369,396 in the previous year.
The number of reported accidents is expected to remain nearly identical, with around 2,510,000 accidents this year, compared to 2,511,925 in the previous year. The ADAC predicts a 1.7% decline in accidents with personal injury, from 291,890 to 287,000.
The development is not enough to meet the 2021 goal of reducing road fatalities by 40% by 2030, the ADAC said. As a measure, the club is advocating for the introduction of a driver’s license at the age of 16, with a longer learning period accompanied by a mentor, which could contribute to reducing the specific risk of young drivers being involved in accidents.
New driver assistance systems and the required “blind spot assistants” for large trucks could also help, the ADAC said. In addition to the automobile sector, the club is calling on cyclists to take part in training offers, particularly among older people, as the number of cyclists killed is increasing, and the trend towards e-bikes is exacerbating this development, the ADAC said.