As the traffic light turns red across the capital’s major arteries, a familiar and dangerous dance begins. While cars and trucks grind to a halt, pedestrians remain frozen on the sidewalk, hesitant to cross. Their caution is well-founded: for the thousands of motorcyclists weaving through the lanes, the red light is treated not as a command, but as an optional suggestion, Ambar Frias writes in an opinion piece in Hoy. She describes what those who commute in Santo Domingo every day have to deal with.
Writing for Hoy, Frias complains that the growing sense of anarchy on the streets of Greater Santo Domingo has reached a tipping point. On high-traffic avenues such as Máximo Gómez, 27 de Febrero, and John F. Kennedy, motorcyclists are routinely observed speeding through intersections against the light, defying both the law and increasing the threat of fatal accidents.
She wrote her opinion piece after observing how the breakdown of order was on full display Tuesday, 27 January 2026 morning on 27 de Febrero Avenue. Agents from the Traffic Safety and Land Transportation Agency (Digesett) attempted to clear the way for a presidential motorcade. While drivers in cars complied with the agents’ signals, motorcyclists swarmed the intersection, ignoring whistles and hand signals. The scene dissolved into chaos as agents struggled to hold back the tide of two-wheeled vehicles just moments before the high-speed escort passed through.
This defiance is not limited to red lights. Throughout the city, motorcyclists are frequently seen driving against traffic, traveling without helmets, and mounting sidewalks to bypass congestion, often directly under the gaze of traffic officers who appear to have grown indifferent to the violations.
The “law of the jungle” on the streets is reflected in grim data. According to Interior and Police Minister Faride Raful, more than 15,000 traffic accidents were recorded in the first 69 days of 2025 alone. Motorcyclists were involved in at least 65% of those collisions.
Furthermore, the National Statistics Office (ONE) reported that in 2024, motorcyclists accounted for a staggering 70.48% of all traffic-related deaths in the country.
Residents are increasingly vocal about what they perceive as a legal limbo for motorcyclists. While motorists in four-wheeled vehicles face fines and scrutiny, the motorcycle remains a vehicle of near-total impunity.
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Hoy
28 January 2026