ON THE ROAD THIS WEEK

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The price of petrol and diesel has risen for the third consecutive week, with a rise of 1.77% in the last week alone. As a result, May closes with the price of motor fuel the highest it has been for the month. This news is disappointing for consumers who had seen a drop in prices for the four weeks previous. However, the cost of diesel is still 1% lower over the year, and fuel is still cheaper in Spain than many other countries in the Euro zone.

The Director General of the DGT, María Seguí, has been defending the proposed new traffic laws in parliament this week, still maintaining that the proposal for the mandatory wearing of crash helmets by cyclists in town and cities is a good move and will prevent deaths and serious injuries, despite the ongoing protestations from cycling groups and sports people. Traffic safety groups and insurers are all in favour of the move, but the Director has agreed to a debate on the subject. There was also more criticism over the plans to increase the motorway speed limit to 130 kilometres per hour on some sections, but Seguí pointed out that this is only on some sections, with a considerably low accident rate, and would only apply in good weather. The withdrawal of exceptions to the mandatory use of seatbelts didn´t raise questions, nor did reduction of main road speeds to 90 kilometres per hour, and the reduction to 30 kilometres per hour on lesser roads.

The number of fatalities in road accidents has fallen 23% so far this year, according to the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT). In total, up to the 26th of May, there have been 385 deaths on the roads, 120 fewer than the 505 of the same period last year. The 23% drop in this period had been one of the greatest for some time, with the figure in 2012 being 8% fewer than 2011. However, the reduction has not been that dramatic for all road users, with only one fewer motorcyclist losing their life compared to last year.

A 54 year old cyclist, of Italian nationality, died this week after being hit by a patrol car of the National Police at the exit of a tunnel in the Ronda de Toledo in Madrid. Emergency Sources said that the accident occurred at 22:32, at night, when the cyclist, who was not wearing reflective elements, lights or helmet, crossed the path of the patrol car which was not responding to an emergency and was travelling normally, but was unable to avoid the collision. The rider suffered multiple injuries and died shortly afterwards at the scene from cardiac arrest, despite resuscitation efforts performed in the first instance by a policeman, and then by SAMUR medics who rushed to the scene.

A man in his 40´s was arrested this week, after failing a breath test, showing three times the permitted amount, having been observed and stopped driving 25 kilometres along the A33 in Jumilla on the wrong side of the dual carriageway road. The emergency centre received numerous calls in panic from motorists who managed to avoid the kamikaze driver, who did manage to collide with one vehicle, prompting the Guardia Civil to immediately respond. The vehicle left the road at a roundabout and the driver fled on foot, before being tracked down by the officers, failing the test and being promptly arrested for reckless driving whilst under the influence of alcohol. He now faces up to two years in prison, community service, a fine and the withdrawal of his license for up to 6 years.

The ex-girlfriend of singer David Bisbal, Elena Tablada, has had her driving license withdrawn and been fined after being arrested on Friday for driving a car and having triple the permitted alcohol in her system. Tablaba was accompanied by two other people when she was arrested, after jumping a red light and then allegedly becoming abusive.

The A7 motorway in the Sagunto area of Valencia was closed on Wednesday morning, after two trucks collided, one of which spilled around 10,000 litres of diesel onto the carriageway. The incident occurred at around 04:30 in the morning, in the area of the former toll road, in the Barcelona direction. For reasons under investigation, a truck collided with the rear of the tanker, rupturing one of the three compartments of the truck carrying diesel. The remaining oil was siphoned into another truck, and the damaged vehicles removed by crane. The driver of the rear truck was taken to hospital with multiple injuries.

Filed under: http://www.theleader.info/article/39177/

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