Dramatic fall in the number of road deaths this year

The six occupants of two cars involved in a head-on collision in the early hours of yesterday morning are lucky to be alive. One of the cars is a complete write off, and the other suffered extensive damage. The occupants of the cars were all under the age of 32. One of the occupants of the car suffered whiplash, and one broke his collarbone and had to undergo surgery. The other occupants suffered bruising. The accident came just as the traffic authorities released figures showing that there has been a spectacular drop in the number of fatal accidents in the Balearics. The number of road deaths in the first four months of the year has gone down from 50 last year to 21. A traffic department spokesman said that it was difficult to explain why there had been such a decrease, but said that in part it was due to greater police vigilance: the number of breathalyser tests and police patrols has been increased, he said. He added that recommendations were to keep within the speed limit and respect traffic signs. He also said that an increase in accidents could be expected during the summer months, when there will be more tourists on the roads. He added that the poor state of the roads was another factor.