Abertis Infraestructuras : Autopistas launches its first Observatory on the behaviour of drivers on its road network

Autopistas, Abertis' Spanish subsidiary, has published the results of its first 'Observatory on the behavior of drivers on the Autopistas toll roads', that analyzes different elements such as speed, the use of the turn signals, lanes occupation, or use of the seat belt, among others.

The document reveals the result of the detailed study of behaviour of drivers in the AP-7 toll road between Salou and Púçol over a period of 13 days. Altogether, they have analyzed the behaviours of more than 60,000 vehicles.

The extracted results allow analyzing risky behaviours on the road with the aim of raising awareness about the importance of responsible driving and promote the correct habits to reduce accident rates.

Key findings of the I Observatory of Autopistas

The results indicate that more than 20% of the passengers travelling on the rear seats of a vehicle do not wear seat belt. It should be noted that, on a frontal impact, the likelihood than an occupant of the rear seats without seat belt mortally hit another passenger in the front seats is multiplied by eight.

Worth mentioning are the numbers on the use of the turn signals: 40% of drivers do not use them when overtaking, while for the incorporations to the road the number increases up to 50%.

In relation to the lane occupation, although the rule establishes that driving on the right is mandatory and that the rest of the lanes should only be used to overtake, 14,6% of vehicles occupied the left lane even when not being in the process of overtaking.

Thanks to this study, Autopistas can promote its work on prevention, to publicize the risks of these behaviours and adopt measures to help minimize risks and reduce accidents in toll roads.

Autopistas has shared the Observatory with the road authorities Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), Servei Català de Trànsit (SCT) and Tráfico de Gobierno Vasco, with the aim of building a join action plan.

Abertis and Road Safety

The Observatory of Autopistas follows the 'Sanef Observatory of behaviours' which Sanef, Abertis' French subsidiary, has been doing for 6 years. The Abertis Group wants to promote this good practice in other countries where it operates such as Brazil, Chile and Argentina, with the aim of promoting education and awareness for responsible driving.

For Abertis, Road Safety is a priority. The Group has more than 50 years of experience in the management and maintenance of roads, with the goal of reducing the number of victims in its network. The Group collaborates with many international organizations, such as Together for Safer Roads, which brings together private companies to work in the improvement of road safety; as well as with other public and private institutions. Between 2013 and 2016, the number of accidents in Abertis toll roads fell by 12%, and the number of fatalities, 24%.