Costa Rican Drivers
Reprehensible in Driver
Education, French
Experts Say
A group of French
experts say that poor
driving education is the
main cause of daily
traffic accidents on the
country's roads. The
group of experts are in
Costa Rica to share
strategies use in their
country to reduce the
number of traffic deaths
by as much as 40% since
2001.
The efforts of the
French places them in
first place in accident
prevention in Europe.
The group are offering
training to authorities
of the ministerios de
Obras Pública y
Transportes (MOPT),
Salud, Educación,
Seguridad, Planificación,
OIJ, Seguridad Vial and
municipal officials,
among others.
María Luisa Ávila, the
ministra de Salud
(health minister) is
outspoken in that Costa
Ricans lack education
when it comes to road
safety and preventing
accidents.
"What happens on the
road is seen as a simple
accident and that is no
accident, an accident is
when a situation cannot
be prevented and the
accidents are a
manifestation of a
violent society, that
complains about the lack
of security, however,
does not contribute to
reduce traffic
violence", said Avila.
The French, according to
Hubert Weigel, of the
French national police,
said that the reduction
in traffic deaths
occurred when that
country declared a
national interest. After
that decision by the
French government,
Weigel, said that other
strategies followed that
included heavy fines for
traffic infractions, the
compulsory inspection of
all vehicles, the use of
seatbelts by all
passengers and reduced
speed limits on many
roads.
Weigel added that the
increased number of
vehicles on the roads
does not necessarily
have to mean higher
death statistics.
In France, in spite of
the increased number of
vehicles on the roads,
statistics show a
reduced number of
traffic accidents and
deaths.
In Costa Rica, the
reverse is evident.
Last year alone 685
people lost their lives
on Costa Rican roads,
placing traffic
accidents as one of the
main causes of violent
deaths and disability.
The numbers for 2007
show that most of the
deaths were of males
between the ages of 25
and 29. Of the 116 women
who lost their lives on
the roads the age range
was between 15 and 24.
The hope is that once
the training course has
ended, officials of the
different authorities
have a clearer vision of
what must be done in the
matter.
One of the stumbling
blocks to reducing
traffic accidents and
deaths is the
legislators foot
dragging on approving
reforms to the Ley de
Tránsito (traffic law)
that imposes stiffer
fines and penalties
especially on drunk and
careless drivers.
The government sent the
proposed reforms to the
Legislative Assembly
more than 18 months ago
and the bill has yet to
make it to the
legislative floor for
approval. |
