Digesett director, General Osoria de la Cruz says the institution cannot place limits on circulation of motorcyclists in the Dominican Republic. He responded to an editorial in Listin Diario, “The Deadly Epidemic of Two Wheels”, that highlighted that reckless motorcyclist driving is behind the present-day epidemic with motorcycles involved in nine out of 10 traffic accidents.
The Digesett website says that the agency is in charge of road safety in the Dominican Republic. It plans and coordinates traffic management, oversight, supervision, and the design and implementation of mobility and safety controls. Digesett website says the agency monitors the enforcement of traffic laws to prevent accidents and reports violations of Law 63-17. The organization also conducts operations to reduce reckless driving behaviors and urges citizens to respect traffic laws and drive responsibly.
Nevertheless, anyone driving here can notice that the authorities do not oblige motorcyclists to comply with traffic rules and blatantly ignore red lights and crisscross streets to move ahead in traffic, with traffic agents looking the other way. Making matters worse, Dominican courts give the advantage to motorcyclists who cause crashes with vehicles, disregarding that the motorcyclist may have caused the accident.
The editorial in Listin Diario criticizes the government for being incapable of implementing solutions. The editorial published on 2 January 2025 stated:
“The country can no longer bear the trail of pain, chaos, and death that defines the “epidemic of two wheels” year after year.
“This refers to the devastating impact of motorcycles on accidents, crime, traffic chaos, and their costly burden on the public healthcare system.
“According to the Center for Emergency Operations (COE), during the New Year’s operation, nine out of ten traffic fatalities involved motorcycles.
“This tragic pattern continues to repeat itself, with the state appearing either incapable or unwilling to address the problem.
“Motorcyclists, who represent 52% of the country’s vehicle fleet, are responsible for a disproportionate share of medical emergencies at the nation’s top hospitals.
“These facilities have been forced to allocate more than 60% of their resources to treat motorcycle accident victims, creating a multimillion-dollar drain on the healthcare system and burdening the entire population.
“Despite these alarming figures, recommendations from experts and authorities to impose stricter controls on motorcycles have largely been ignored.
“Proposals to regulate their circulation during specific hours, mandate the use of protective helmets, and remove violators from the roads have seen minimal response.
“Meanwhile, accident rates and fatalities continue to climb.
“Each crash incurs enormous costs in intensive care, surgeries, and rehabilitation—resources that could be redirected toward prevention or improving the healthcare system, rather than being consumed by a crisis that could be mitigated through more stringent measures.
“This is not merely a traffic issue; it is a public health crisis, a citizen security threat, and a social disorder.
“The statistics demand immediate action.
“The cost of inaction will continue to claim lives and further erode public safety.
“Motorcycles, which should serve as a solution for mobility, have tragically become a symbol of pain, chaos, and death—creating a perfect storm of a deadly epidemic on two wheels.”
During the Christmas and New Year holidays, a total of 262 accidents were recorded, with motorcyclists accounting for the majority of those incidents—206 in total.
According to Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Center for Emergency Operations (COE), 42 people lost their lives during the festive period. In addition to Greater Santo Domingo, the provinces reporting the highest number of accidents were Puerto Plata, San Cristóbal, La Vega, San Pedro de Macorís, and La Altagracia (Higuey, Veron and Punta Cana).
In comparison to 2023, the number of fatalities in 2024 increased by four. Additionally, there was a rise in the number of minors suffering from intoxication during the holidays.
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7 January 2025