There were 163 deaths in traffic accidents in December 2016. On average from 2012 to 2016, there have been 193 deaths in December. December is to Dominicans what August is to Europeans. It also is the only time of the year, when the Ministry of Interior and Police removes the curfew on serving alcoholic beverages. This authorization often leads to excess consumption of alcohol, sending out the wrong signal to the population.
As a result, extra precautions need to be exercised when driving during the Christmas holidays in the Dominican Republic. With the curfew on alcoholic beverages lifted, many people will be driving under the influence. Others will be fatigued from partying when on the road.
There is a need to be extra alert. Look both ways when crossing an intersection, regardless of whether you have right of way. Observe speed limits, even if no one else seems to be driving at those speeds.
During the past 10 years, there have been 18,874 deaths for traffic accidents in the Dominican Republic. The country has a very high rate of 29.3 traffic accident deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, according to statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO).
In Greater Santo Domingo (the province of Santo Domingo and the National District) there were 3,385 traffic accident deaths from 2007 to 2016.
The most vulnerable groups are people driving on motorcycles and young people. According to the National Statistics Office (ONE) motorists are involved in more than 85% of the traffic accidents and 37% of the victims are ages 15 to 29 years.
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Diario Libre
13 December 2017
