Costa Rica's
Transport
Minister Wants
To See Bad &
Dangerous
Drivers In Jail
Making an
illegal turn may
land you jail if
the ministro de
Obras Públicas y
Transportes (MOPT),
Francisco
Jiménez, would
have his way.
Illegal U-turns,
left hand turns
onto highways,
passing on
bridges or not
respecting a
double yellow
line in the
centre of a
highway, would
all land the
driver in jail
from one to
three years, is
the subject of
an evaluation
analysis by the
MOPT that would
be the basis of
a legislative
change.
"I hope to raise
this issue. In
my opinion it is
reckless
driving. Making
a U-turn,
crossing into
busy traffic and
crossing a
yellow double
line are a
criminal act",
said minister
Jiménez.
The minister
explained that
he plans to take
advantage and
introduce the
changes as
legislators work
on the reforms
to the Ley de
Tránsito left
over by the
previous
legislators.
"We have to make
changes and they
have to be
drastic",
emphasized
Jiménez.
The problem is
exacerbated by
drivers making
all kinds of
illegal turns
and "maniobras
indebidas"
(undesired
moves), crossing
lanes, making
illegal turns to
get to and from
a store of
commercial
centre, all
actions that
lead to
accidents, some
fatal.
For some reason
drivers in Costa
Rica have yet to
understand the
relationship
between high
speed and
stopping
distances. With
increase in
vehicles and
drivers and high
speed roads,
many either
through lack of
experience or
common sense, do
not adjust their
stopping
distance with
the increased
speed or do not
take into
account oncoming
traffic when
making a sudden
turn or
following
traffic when
slowing down to
an almost
complete stop to
enter a mall
entrance, for
instance.
The call for
tougher measures
comes from the a
fatal accidents
last week left
four people dead
on the Bernardo
Soto, west of
the San José
airport.
In that
accident, like
many have done
and many
continue to do,
Gustavo Guevara
made a left turn
from the north
service road in
front of the
Hotel Aeropuerto
onto the four
lane 80 km/h
highway to head
back to San
José. The
illegal move
caused Guevara
to lose control
of his vehicle
and land in the
opposing lane
against traffic,
where he was hit
by a truck. His
three sons died
with him that
morning.
Jorge Rojas,
sub-director de
Diseño Vial del
MOPT, explained
that the illegal
exit has been
shut down
several times,
but it gets
re-opened.
The Bernardo
Soto is an
extension of the
General Cañas -
the busiest
highway in Costa
Rica and perhaps
the most
dangerous - the
section of the
Interamericana
from the Juan
Santamaría (San
José) airport to
San Ramón.
The section just
west of the
airport to the
Manolo's
intersection
(the exit to La
Garita and onto
Jacó) is fraught
with all kinds
of dangerous
points, starting
with buses
stopping in the
right lane of
the two lanes
west of the
bridge after
passing the
airport.
From there to
the next bridge
you have a
series of
entrances and
exits, some
legal, others
not, and the
faced with the
uneven pavement
and potholes as
you pass the Dos
Pinos plant. In
that section of
the road, a
vehicle is
rocked from side
to side at some
points and that
is even when not
some big tractor
trailer is
passing you at
speeds of 100
km/h or more,
then coming to a
sudden slowdown
facing the two
lane bridge.
To support the
comments and
wishes of
minister Jiménez
all one has to
do is sit on any
busy highway or
intersection and
watch traffic
for a while. |
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