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Published Tuesday, February 9, 2021
Car crash-related deaths increase
despite the ban-on-driving rule
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Thirty-six people died in car crashes in January, despite the ban-on-driving rule and the restrictions to the general commerce imposed by the government to try to avoid an increase in covid-19 infections, according to the Ministry of Transport.
This figure exceeds 8 deaths compared to January 2020, when 28 people died in road accidents when the ban-on-driving rule had not been established yet.
The statistics of the first month of 2021 shows that neither the ban-on-driving rule has been sufficient to reduce death linked to road accidents, the Ministry of Transport said in its statement.
According to the ministry, traffic police officers are going to focus on patrolling the streets especially now that the school year begins. Police road patrolling will increase in speed detection, drunk drivers detection, use of safety devices, among others.
In 2020, 300 deaths were caused by car crashes, according to the ministry statistics.
Of the total deaths, 164 happened at night, between 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. of the next day, a time that almost entirely matches with the driving restriction schedule.
Also, of the total deaths, 65 people died in car crashes on a Saturday night according to the statistics.
One fact that concerns the authorities is that the majority of the 152 dead were young drivers, between the ages of 21 and 40 years old.
People can report any case of reckless driving to the 911 emergency line.
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What have you heard of expats driving recklessly in your community? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com
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