Upper Austria has Austria’s second-highest road death toll

Fifty-seven people have died in road crashes in Upper Austria so far this year, including 14 in motorcycle crashes, ORF reported on Sunday. The province has the second-highest number of road deaths in Austria, tied with Styria.

The VCÖ, a mobility organisation, says many serious crashes could be prevented by lowering the speed limit on rural roads from 100 km/h to 80 km/h. A car travelling at 80 km/h has a stopping distance of 51 metres, compared with 74 metres at 100 km/h. After travelling 51 metres at 100 km/h, it would still be moving at 66 km/h.

The VCÖ also recommends redesigning stretches where drivers speed and increasing speed checks on rural roads. It says fixed speed cameras and average-speed checks on sections with frequent crashes could help prevent serious accidents.

Lower Austria has recorded 91 road deaths, the highest number among Austria’s provinces. Across the country, 304 people have died in road crashes since the start of the year; Vienna has the lowest toll, with eight. As in previous years, the ARBÖ will place white crosses beside roads to mark locations of fatal crashes.