29th FORUM BARCELONA ROAD SAFETY

The 29th edition of the Barcelona Road Safety Forum, co-organized by P(A)T, Barcelona City Council, the Servei Català de Trànsit and the RACC, dealt with the topic of the influence of alcohol and other drugs on reckless driving.

At the inauguration, our president Vicente Sánchez contributed the humanistic vision of the victims, giving a name and face to the statistics and the truncated lives. The coexistence commissioner of Barcelona City Council, Montse Surroca, the director of the Servei Català de Trànsit, Ramon Lamiel and the president of the RACC, Josep Mateu, also participated.

Next, an emotional tribute was made to our beloved Ole Thorson, a prominent member of P(A)T and a leader in Road Safety who was recognized by all attendees, who gave him warm applause.

It must be taken into account that the consumption of alcohol and other drugs is one of the most influential factors in reckless driving, which contributes to road accidents, both for drivers and pedestrians. The figures certify the relevance of the problem: in 2022, alcohol was the main indirect cause of traffic accidents in Barcelona, with 225 cases. In addition, 14,307 drivers were detected driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotic substances, which represents an average of 39 per day.

The main entities and administrations involved in mobility and several experts addressed the influence of alcohol and drugs on reckless driving, in the forum moderated by journalist Mónica Peinado. Francisco Alonso, director of INTRAS (University Institute for Research in Traffic and Road Safety) provided his expert vision, speaking about the influence of psychoactive substances on road safety and providing evidence of research and intervention. Eduardo Sánchez, member of P (A) T, offered his personal testimony. The courage to expose his experience was widely applauded by the public.

In the first round table, the evolution and future of drug and alcohol detection while driving was analyzed, in a debate that included the participation of the Barcelona Urban Police, with José Ángel Burrel, mayor and deputy chief of the Traffic division of the Urban Police, of Mossos d’Esquadra with Francesc Parra, head of the Regional Traffic Area of Central Catalonia of the Mossos d’Esquadra and on behalf of the prosecutor’s office Ana López, chief prosecutor of the Area Prosecutor’s Office from Terrassa.

Since we know the importance of the diversity of points of view in addressing such complex problems, the social and health aspects of alcohol and drugs in driving were also analyzed. Thus, in the second round table “Alcohol and drugs in driving: a social and health perspective”, the causes of inappropriate use of these substances were reflected on. Participating were Antoni Esteve, director of AdSalutem, Sleep Institute, Montse Bartroli, head of the Drug Addiction Prevention Department of the Public Health Agency of Barcelona, Geli Gallego, head of the Forensic Laboratory Service of the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of Catalonia (IMLCFC) and forensic expert attached to the Court of Instruction 29 of Barcelona and Lídia Segura, of the General Subdirectorate of Addictions, HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infections and Viral Hepatitis, of the Public Health Agency of Catalonia, Department of Health, Generalitat de Catalonia. Among other contributions, the need to pay attention to brain health was highlighted, and keep in mind the importance of its care beyond doing so when age begins to affect cognitive abilities, highlighting the key role of prevention and good habits. They talked about how avoiding the consumption of these substances and promoting aspects such as proper rest has a positive impact on brain health, and also on road safety, since eradicating these harmful habits would contribute to continuing to reduce the number of fatalities. in traffic accidents.

Finally, the first deputy mayor of Barcelona City Council, Mrs. Laia Bonet, made a brief conclusion, recalling the Objective of 0 victims on streets and roads, and her determination to continue putting all efforts to achieve it.