The Ministry of Public Health announced the implementation of a National Road Safety Plan to reduce risks that cause traffic accidents and road-related fatalities. The Ministry of Public Health says that the plan is coordinated with the Ministries of Public Works (MOPC) and Education (MINERD) and the Metropolitan Transport Authority (AMET), as reported in acento.com.do.
As part of the government sponsored study, the most dangerous areas of highways and roads were identified. Alberto Diaz, director of the Program for Reduction of Traffic Accidents (Premat) at the Ministry of Public Health said a National Road Security Council has been created to implement measures that seek to motivate motorists to observe for traffic laws. He added that the government will step up enforcement of traffic regulations.
Rosa Urania, consultant for the Pan American Health Organization (Paho) says that they are compiling a list of the principal causes that produce fatal traffic accidents. She noted that statistics compiled by the National Health Insurance (Senasa), the Casa del Conductor and health plan providers (ARS) are being integrated into the study along with AMET, the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (Inacif), the 911 Emergency System. She added PAHO will work with all agencies to ensure that motorcyclists wear helmets and that those individuals occupying back seats in vehicles begin to us seat belts.
Current statistics place the DR as the second highest country in the world in the rate of road accidents per capita. Specialists blame these accidents on wreckless driving as well as the absence of driver education in schools. In 2013, the DR had a rate of 41.7 traffic accidents per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the World Health Organization.
http://acento.com.do/2015/actualidad/8273561-salud-obras-publicas-y-educacion-trabajaran-para-reducir-accidentes-de-transito/