The headline might seem harsh, but readers already know that the Dominican Republic is perhaps the most dangerous place to drive in the Western Hemisphere. According to Dr. Julio Landrón at the Ney Arias Trauma Hospital in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic will finish with about 4,000 traffic fatalities this year. And this in a year of lockdowns and Covid-19 curfew. The total traffic accident deaths compares to around 2,700 Covid-19 deaths for all of 2020.
There are exactly 8,760 hours in a year, so this averages out to a road death every two hours or so. In the Dominican Republic, there are more deaths attributed to traffic accidents than to cancer or cardiovascular issues. Eleven people per day, on average, die on the roads.
Something so simple as “buckling up” can save 38% of the fatalities. Motorcyclists using safety helmets will further reduce the death toll. Dr. Landrón notes that motorcyclists are involved in most accidents and that the outcome is worse when two motorcycles crash. He told Diario Libre reporters that most of his patients in the trauma hospital ICU were victims of motorcycle accidents.
The good doctor said that the scourge of traffic accidents is worse than the Covid-19 pandemic since 25% of all his accident patients have life-long injuries. The Ney Arias Trauma Hospital has 35 beds reserved just for accident victims.
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Diario Libre
20 December 2020