Traffic Fatalities in Road Accidents in Austria – Current Status

Traffic Fatalities in Road Accidents in Austria – Current Status

The graphic shows the development so far in the current year and in previous years.

The data is based on the current number of traffic fatalities announced at the beginning of each week by the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The graphic represents a comparison of preliminary figures, as fatalities occurring later as a result of accident injuries (within the 30-day period) are added retrospectively throughout the year. After the end of the year, this is done retroactively, which usually results in a steep increase in the final week of the year toward the year-end total. The forecast is based on weekly results from January 1, 2009, to the end of the previous year.

Brief Interpretation:

From 2016 to 2019, the annual number of traffic fatalities changed very little – the fluctuations appear rather random and do not show a systematic trend toward greater traffic safety.

In 2020, this trend initially continued. However, with the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, the number of weekly fatalities decreased significantly. Overall, it can be assumed that there were around 100 fewer traffic fatalities in these two years than would have been expected without the pandemic.

The year 2022 was highly unusual: Well into the summer, it appeared that, as in the years 2016 to 2019, over 400 people would again die in traffic accidents. However, from around September until the end of the year, the increase in fatalities slowed significantly. The reasons for this are unclear. Unlike during the lockdowns, there was no significant reduction in traffic volumes. Weather conditions are also unlikely to have played a role, as October, November, and December were unusually mild. Could it be that the general speed level on Austria's roads decreased slightly? Perhaps people drove more slowly (and economically) due to high fuel prices? Or did the "speeding package" implemented on September 1, 2022, with its significantly higher penalties for excessive speeding, have an effect? Even a slight reduction in average speeds disproportionately reduces the likelihood of fatal accidents.

Unfortunately, the positive trend from fall 2022 did not continue in 2023. Instead, the number of traffic fatalities in 2023 developed similarly to the years before the pandemic.

The year 2024 was again atypical: The first half of the year was encouraging, with the number of fatalities by the end of June being the lowest ever recorded, even lower than in the two pandemic years. However, over the summer until the end of September, the increase in fatalities was higher than in almost all previous years, only to flatten out again in the fall, similar to fall 2022.

Even though a conclusive explanation for the causes is still lacking, 2024 saw fewer people die in traffic accidents on Austria's roads than in almost all previous decades (with one exception).

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