A motorcyclist died early this morning in a single-vehicle crash in La Ràpita, in Montsià, according to the Catalan Traffic Service (SCT). The alert was received at 2.19am, and the crash happened at kilometre 1 on the road linking La Ràpita with Poblenou del Delta.
Emergency services were sent to the scene. Two patrols from the Mossos d'Esquadra and three ambulances from the Medical Emergency System (SEM) were activated after the incident.
The death brings the number of people killed on Catalonia’s roads this year to 53. Of those, 22 have been motorcyclists. The SCT said yesterday that it had launched a new awareness campaign aimed at motorcyclists, with the goal of reducing serious and fatal crashes.
Traffic officials said motorcyclists account for 40% of road accident deaths in Catalonia in the first five months of the year, with 21 of the 52 victims being motorcyclists. They said this is a higher share than the one in three seen in recent years.
The SCT also said the Barcelona area has recorded 14 motorcyclist deaths this year, while the AP-7 motorway has seen the highest number of fatal crashes, with four motorcyclist deaths. Single-vehicle crashes, such as run-offs or falls, have been common, accounting for 12 fatal incidents.
Most victims are men over 45. Of the 21 motorcyclists who died this year, 20 were male riders and one was a female passenger or companion, according to Traffic officials. Eleven of the 21 fatal crashes happened in the afternoon, and 12 took place during weekends or public holidays.
The SCT said motorcyclist crashes are becoming less tied to the summer season, although May still accounted for seven of the 21 recorded deaths. For more Catalonia-wide updates, see our news coverage.
