The Federal Highway Research Institute expects 2520 fatalities in road traffic in 2021 – a historic low. This is therefore also related to the corona pandemic.
Bergisch Gladbach – The Federal Highway Research Institute (Bast) is assuming a historic low in road deaths in 2021.
According to a new estimate, there will be around 2520 fatalities in road traffic, the research institution announced on Tuesday. That is a decrease of more than seven percent compared to the previous year – and the lowest level since the introduction of the statistics. One reason: Corona.
As in 2020, 2021 will be an exceptional year, the Federal Agency explained in its analysis. As early as 2020, for example, a decrease in the volume of traffic could be observed due to lockdowns, online lessons and home office. Even in 2021, it has not yet risen to the pre-pandemic level. “As a result, the number of accidents and fatalities has declined significantly over the past two years.”
Around 315,000 casualties in 2021
According to the estimate, the number of casualties will decrease by more than 15,000 to around 315,000 (2020: 330,269). The Federal Agency is assuming a decrease in accidents of around seven percent, particularly within localities. For country roads, it can be assumed that it is almost three percent less. On the other hand, the institute sees an increase of around five percent in the number of accidents on the autobahn – although the number of fatalities there has also decreased to around 310.
The decline in so-called non-motorized road users is also encouraging. The number of cyclists killed will decrease by more than 15 percent to around 360. In the number of pedestrians killed, a significant decline of around 16 percent (2020: 376 fatalities) can also be expected – this is also the lowest value since the statistics began. dpa
