Everyone is congratulating the National Police on the reduced number of tragedies this Christmas and the New Year. Hoy newspaper reported there had been only three deaths and about 300 injured. The victims were Maria Teresa Gonzalez, 54 years, run over by a motorcycle; Johnny Montero, 26 years, stabbed in a fight; and policeman Jose de Jesus Ogando, when the motorcycle in which he was traveling without a helmet was crushed by a car. His death was the only one that occurred during the New Year celebrations and would have been avoided if he had been wearing the protective helmet now being required by the Police. Measures such as arresting reckless drivers for 48 hours for crossing red lights, obliging motorcyclists to wear their protective helmets and prohibiting fireworks have proven beneficial.
