In the Krapina-Zagorje County, 668 traffic accidents occurred during the first nine months of 2026, in which eight people lost their lives. A total of 1,446 participants were involved in the accidents, including 1,035 drivers, 390 passengers, and 21 pedestrians, the Krapina-Zagorje Police Department reported.
Of the total number of accidents, 471 ended with material damage, while 189 accidents involved injured persons. Fifty-six people suffered serious injuries, and 216 suffered minor injuries. Among the deceased were three drivers of passenger cars, two motorcycle drivers, a moped driver, a tractor (quad) driver, and one pedestrian.
The most common circumstances preceding traffic accidents with casualties were driver errors. Police highlighted speed inappropriate to road conditions, improper vehicle movement, failure to yield right of way, driving at an unsafe distance, and improper speed. The highest number of accidents with casualties, 47, occurred due to vehicles sliding off the road. There were also 33 side collisions, 32 head-on collisions, and 28 rear-end collisions. In 15 cases, vehicles hit pedestrians, in 11 cases vehicles hit objects by the roadside, and eight accidents occurred during parallel driving.
During traffic surveillance, police officers recorded a total of 19,851 traffic offences. The most frequent were violations of speed limits, with 10,115 offences, which is more than half of all recorded offences. There were 2,475 offences for not wearing seat belts, 782 offences for driving under the influence of alcohol, and 649 offences for improper use of mobile phones while driving. The remaining 5,830 offences related to other violations of traffic regulations.
At the time of the accident, 129 drivers were under the influence of alcohol, along with one passenger and three pedestrians. Drunk drivers accounted for 12.5 per cent of all drivers involved in traffic accidents, while in the same period last year this share was 12.9 per cent. During the first nine months of 2026, a decrease of 0.4 percentage points was recorded.
Traffic statistics for September show 80 traffic accidents in the area of the Police Directorate. In these, four people were seriously injured and 26 slightly injured, while one person died in a traffic accident. In traffic accidents in September, 154 participants were involved: 120 drivers, 30 passengers, and four pedestrians. At the time of the accident, 18 drivers were under the influence.
Of the total number of accidents in September, 58 ended with material damage, and in 21 accidents there were injured persons. One traffic accident in September had a fatal outcome. The most common circumstances preceding accidents with casualties in September were improper vehicle movement on the road, speed inappropriate to conditions, failure to yield right of way, and driving at an unsafe distance. The most accidents with casualties occurred due to vehicles sliding off the road, side collisions, and head-on collisions. There were also instances of vehicles hitting pedestrians and accidents during parallel driving.
During the surveillance of traffic in September, police officers recorded a total of 1,688 offences. The majority related to the speed of vehicles, with 731 offences. There were 260 offences for not wearing seat belts, 89 offences for driving under the influence of alcohol, and 57 offences for improper use of mobile phones while driving. The remaining 551 offences related to other violations of traffic regulations.
