"The first time Lucian Mindruta crashed his car, he swerved to avoid a village dog and hit another vehicle. The second time, he missed a right-of-way sign and was struck by a car at a junction. The third time, ice sent him skidding off the road and into two trees. Crashes four to eight, he said, were bumper-scratches in traffic too minor to mention. That Mindruta escaped those collisions with his life and without having taken anyone else's is not a given in Romania."
"Cars are the biggest killer of children and young adults worldwide but efforts to save lives have struggled to attract public or political attention. Even in Europe, where fatality rates are low by global standards, five times more people are killed in car crashes than murdered. The EU is on track to miss its target of halving road deaths by 2030."
"Last year, it defined aggressive behaviour such as tailgating and intimidating other drivers in law and increased penalties for dangerous driving. A network of speed cameras is being introduced alongside a system to automatically detect traffic violations. Things are moving, said Alexandru Ciuncan, the president of the Coalition for Road Safety (RSC), a group campaigning for road safety in Romania."
A Romanian driver survived multiple car crashes caused by avoiding a dog, missing a right-of-way sign, and skidding on ice, plus several minor collisions. Romania recorded 78 traffic deaths per million in 2024, the highest rate in the EU, with almost half of about 1,500 annual fatalities being pedestrians and cyclists. Cars are the leading cause of death for children and young adults globally, and in Europe traffic deaths outnumber murders by five to one. The EU is likely to miss its 2030 target to halve road deaths. Romania has legally defined aggressive driving, increased penalties, and is installing speed cameras and automated violation-detection systems, but progress remains slow.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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