Road accidents in Algeria kill More than 1,900 injured over 21,000 in first eight months of 2010

A total of 1,921 of people perished and 21,969 were injured in 12,407 road accidents that occurred nationwide during the first eight months of the current year, the National Gendarmerie said Sunday.

• Compared with the same period in 2009, the number of deaths dropped by 25.19 percent, of the injured by 28.02 percent, and that of accidents by 28.18 percent, the source added.

• The heaviest toll was recorded in Setif (300-km east of Algiers) with 71 killed, 1,230 wounded in 683 road accidents, followed by Algiers with 60 killed, 694 injured in 623 accidents and Oran (432-km west of Algiers) with 56 killed, 901 injured in 584 accidents, according to the National Gendarmerie.

• These road accidents were mainly caused by the loss of vehicle control in 24.26 percent of cases, followed by speeding in 21.17 percent of cases and dangerous overtaking in 9.57 percent, the source added.