NewsWhore
04-24-2006, 03:10 PM
Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death in the Dominican Republic, according to data from the Ministry of Public Health, as reported in Listin Diario. The number of traffic accidents increased from 22.3 per 100,000 inhabitants in 1995 to 48.2 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2005, which means that the number of accidents has doubled in just 10 years. The number of vehicles also doubled during that period. In 1996 there were 1.6 million vehicles, and by 2005 there were three million, said Dr. Nicanor Rodriguez Almanzar, coordinator of the Ministry of Public Health's Program to Prevent and Reduce Traffic Fatalities.
According to the study, 70% of those who died were 15-45 years old. Likewise, Rodriguez pointed to the high cost for the state of dealing with traffic accidents.
He said that average cost of a traffic accident patient is RD$23,000. Most traffic accident cases involving people who do not have private insurance are taken to the Dario Contreras Hospital in Santo Domingo.
Three of every five motor vehicle accidents involve motorcycles and 70% of these accidents are attributed to careless driving. Males from 12 to 15 are the group that suffers the most deaths in accidents and boys are twice as likely to have an accident as girls. Eleven minors die each month in traffic accidents. The seriousness of the problem is accentuated when the report states that accidents involving minors under the age of 15 constitute 4% of the total death rate for the Dominican Republic. Rodriguez also pointed out that the real figures are probably even higher, since a significant proportion of accidents involving minors are never reported to the authorities.
Rodriguez says, "Traffic accidents are the cause of death that can be most effectively prevented." He said there is a need to establish prevention measures, oblige drivers to respect the traffic laws, improve their vehicles' conditions, and guarantee timely assistance to victims.
Along the same lines, in an interview in Hoy last week the Dominican Rehabilitation Association warned that motorcycle-related accidents are the leading cause of the worst epidemic of amputations, deformities and handicaps nationwide. The ADR has begun a campaign to raise public awareness and encourage drivers to follow traffic rules.
Link To Original Article (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#10)
According to the study, 70% of those who died were 15-45 years old. Likewise, Rodriguez pointed to the high cost for the state of dealing with traffic accidents.
He said that average cost of a traffic accident patient is RD$23,000. Most traffic accident cases involving people who do not have private insurance are taken to the Dario Contreras Hospital in Santo Domingo.
Three of every five motor vehicle accidents involve motorcycles and 70% of these accidents are attributed to careless driving. Males from 12 to 15 are the group that suffers the most deaths in accidents and boys are twice as likely to have an accident as girls. Eleven minors die each month in traffic accidents. The seriousness of the problem is accentuated when the report states that accidents involving minors under the age of 15 constitute 4% of the total death rate for the Dominican Republic. Rodriguez also pointed out that the real figures are probably even higher, since a significant proportion of accidents involving minors are never reported to the authorities.
Rodriguez says, "Traffic accidents are the cause of death that can be most effectively prevented." He said there is a need to establish prevention measures, oblige drivers to respect the traffic laws, improve their vehicles' conditions, and guarantee timely assistance to victims.
Along the same lines, in an interview in Hoy last week the Dominican Rehabilitation Association warned that motorcycle-related accidents are the leading cause of the worst epidemic of amputations, deformities and handicaps nationwide. The ADR has begun a campaign to raise public awareness and encourage drivers to follow traffic rules.
Link To Original Article (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#10)