In Hungary, the proportion of fatal road accidents is higher than in most European countries. Fatalities in 1988 were 8% higher than in the previous year. The number killed per 100 accidents was 8, and this proportion has been increasing since 1982. In 1989 number of fatalities was 27% up on 1988. In 1989, 71% of all injury accidents occurred in built-up areas. 36% of all injury accidents occurred at junctions, 90% of these in built-up areas. Over period 1984-88, the average number killed annually was 1651. Compared with this, the number killed in 1989 was 31% higher. Injuries at night are most serious. In 1985 it was decided to install better lighting at 11 sites. A before and after study shows that 1) Taking sites individually, only one site did not show an improvement; and 2) Taking sites together, the number of injury accidents dropped to 87% of that before installation. The estimated economic loss due to severity of accidents was cut by 50%; 3) There is an improvement in the ratio of night-time to daytime accidents.
Samenvatting