Road deaths drop below 2'000 in 2009

Deaths on Spanish roads last year below 2,000 for the first time since 1969, when records began, the government reported earlier today.

A total of 1,857 people lost their lives in traffic accidents in Spain as of Dec. 27, 2009, the sixth consecutive year of decline, the Interior Ministry said.

The total number of fatalities in 1969 was 3,951 and had been on a rise due largely to the increasing amount of traffic on the road. Figures peaked in 1989 when almost 7,000 people lost their lives in traffic accidents.

The ministry attributed this decline in road deaths to a number of factors, including the introduction of a driver's license penalty points system in July 2006. Additional roadside speed cameras have also made it easier for authorities to crack down on speeding motorists and reduce the number of fatal accidents.