Dozens of passengers were injured, including at least four children, after two public buses collided on Friday in the southern Athens suburb of Voula.
The accident occurred on Karamanli Avenue in the direction of Sounio when one bus reportedly rear-ended another that had stopped in traffic. According to the latest update, at least 47 people have been injured with three of them being in more critical condition, though not in danger.
Based on the information so far, 31 injured people were taken to the Asklepieion of Voula, six to Gennimatas, and ten to the Aglaia Kyriakou Children’s Hospital. “There is currently no danger to the lives of the injured,” said Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis. As he said, three of the injured are in a more serious condition, but out of danger.
The buses were operating routes 122 and 122Θ, and one crashed into the other which had stopped right in front it. Initial information indicates that the driver of the second bus (who is also one of the injured) reported that he felt unwell and was unable to brake.
Dangerous Greek roads
Greece has among the most road accident fatalities in the European Union, a new study has shown, with figures being way above the EU average.
According to the study’s data, Greece is the 7th worst among the European Union’s 27 member-states in terms of the number of people killed in road accidents, with 59.6 deaths per million inhabitants. The EU average is 45.5 deaths per million. This means that, in comparison to the EU average, Greece has 31 percent more deaths due to traffic incidents.
Bulgaria has the most traffic fatalities, with a colossal 81.6 deaths per million inhabitants, which amounts to 78 percent above the EU average. Romania follows closely, with 81.1 deaths per million inhabitants, also 78 percent above the average. Latvia, Croatia, and Portugal follow.
In contrast, Norway has the lowest number of road accident fatalities, with 20 deaths per million inhabitants, which is half the EU average. The Scandinavian country has managed to reduce fatalities by 41 percent compared to 2013. In 2023, 1,545 people died in road accidents across the European Union, according to the study.
Hundreds die in Greece every year
In 2022, compared to the rest of the EU, Greece was the fourth most heavily impacted in terms of road accident fatalities, with 71 deaths per million at a time when the EU average was 46. Experts cite poor driving habits.
Prior to 2021, experts added, there had been a decrease in fatalities due to new highways, the reduction of private car use during the pandemic, and improved vehicles.
Despite improvements, the number of people killed in road accidents in Greece is alarmingly high compared to the rest of Europe. In 2023, 621 people lost their lives in traffic accidents across the country, and police registered 11,201 road accidents. This was up by 6.8 percent compared to the same period in 2022.
Fatalities, however, saw a 5 percent drop. This was down from 654 in 2022. To put things into perspective, Greece has a population of about 10.3 million.
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