Since the creation of the Spanish Traffic Directorate in 1959, two Statistical reports are being published each year, one on Traffic accidents and the other covering everything related to vehicles, drivers and fines. In 1994 it was thought that the information included in these annual reports was not enough understandable for those unable to speak our language: that is the reason why, after two years, this reference book is being published in English and Spanish in order to spread and elaborate a study on the total number of cars, drivers and accidents in our country. The aim of this book is to inform and its purpose to provide the statistical base for all the groups which, somehow or other, are interested in the different activities related to traffic outside and inside our country. As this could be of interest for researchers, some additional information on the field of research was included, although at small scale, in the aim to present the works that are being studied more deeply. Five parts can be identified as concerns the contents of the report. The first chapter includes some series related to vehicles, drivers and accidents during the last ten years in order to verify its time evolution. In the second, a more specific report on the evolution of the accident rate during the last two years in shown in order to provide an accurate comparison between the years 1997 and 1998. The third chapter is devoted to frame the Spanish position within an international context as concerns the main variables describing the particular situation in relation to traffic. The fourth chapter is an in-depth study of accidents during the last year and makes a difference between the type of accidents and the victims. Finally, the fifth and last chapter provides information on the works and research studies which have been carried out for the last years in this Traffic Directorate as well as those that are currently being developed. (A)
Abstract