Traffic Fatalities in the First Quarter Predominantly Male

63 people lost their lives in road traffic in the first quarter of the year. The differences according to the gender of the traffic fatalities are striking, as Statistics Austria announced in a release on Wednesday. 54 men and nine women died on Austria's roads. "In the first three months of 2025, six times more men than women were fatally injured in road traffic," said Thomas Burg, Director General of Statistics Austria.

Overall increase in traffic fatalities

For men, this is the highest value for a first quarter since 2018, for women the lowest quarterly value since the start of digital records in 1992. "The difference was even greater among the killed car occupants: 29 men and three women died in a car, almost ten times as many men as women," Burg is quoted in the release. Overall, the number of traffic fatalities increased by 17 percent compared to the first quarter of 2024, but decreased by 17 percent compared to 2023.

Differences between the genders were also recorded in accidents with personal injury under the influence of alcohol. In the first quarter, a total of 461 drivers were involved in such accidents. 85 percent of the intoxicated persons behind the wheel were male, 15 percent female. According to Statistics Austria, every 17th male driver was impaired by alcohol at the time of the accident, while for women it was only every 45th driver.

Suspected accident causers

The proportion of suspected accident causers was also higher among men than women. 59 percent of male drivers were causers, while the proportion for women was 54 percent. Additionally, men who were involved in a car accident were more than twice as likely not to wear a seatbelt: This was the case for six percent of men and 2.7 percent of women.

More than one in four traffic fatalities in the first quarter of 2025 occurred in accidents involving a truck weighing over 3.5 tons. This is the highest proportion since the start of digital records. A total of 17 people died in accidents with heavy trucks, including twelve car drivers, two pedestrians, two light truck drivers, and one heavy truck passenger.

Decrease and increase

The number of accidents due to inappropriate speed decreased again, reaching the lowest value since the recording of accident causes in 2012. In contrast, accidents caused by inattention or distraction showed an opposite trend. Every third accident in the first quarter was due to this - making inattention or distraction once again the most common cause of accidents.

(APA/Red)

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