Since the beginning of the holidays, the number of car accidents has increased by 12 % compared to the same period last year. According to the assistance company Touring, technical calls for assistance and interventions are concentrated to France, Spain, Germany, Netherlands and Italy. About 15% of the accidents are due to inappropriate driving with a caravan or motor home.
After two weeks of summer vacation, Touring has already had to intervene 304 times this year, against 272 last year for the same period. Most of the time the accidents are caused by inattention, carelessness and fatigue, but also because of ignorance of local traffic rules and driving abroad, explains Touring.
According to the company, the increase is due to the fact that more and more people go by car to Eastern Europe, where living is cheaper than in France, and to Spain, instead of Tunisia, Turkey and Egypt. "We are seeing the advantage of going by car, but it’s also increasing the risk of accidents," says Touring.
Assistance has also recorded more calls for assistance in the first half year of 2016 - 10 900 against 10 830 last year. 152 people (205 in 2015) and 163 cars (131 in 2015) have been repatriated.
The upward trend is also seen in Belgium, with 19 950 calls for car breakdowns during the first half year of 2016, compared to 19 700 calls during the same period in the previous year.
The Brussels Times (Source: Belga)
