Dr. Pedro Green of the Dario Contreras trauma hospital warned of the rising number of vehicle accident victims in the D.R., and the “lack of political will” to reduce the danger on roads and highways. Dr. Green reported that at Dario Contreras, where the majority of emergency patients are taken if injured in the provinces, 351 people died of traffic accidents in 1995, and that so far in 1996 that number has increased to 361. One hundred-six of those died in the emergency room. In 1995, 42,334 of the 49,805 emergency cases at Dario Contreras were due to auto accidents.
Dr. Green cited the lack of respect for traffic laws, the insufficient lighting of streets and highways, and the alarming number of vehicles in poor conditions. He suggests the teaching of traffic laws in high schools and especially in unions of truck and public transport drivers, as well as stricter requirements for those applying for driver’s licenses.