NewsWhore
06-29-2011, 03:00 PM
An estimated 308 people were killed in traffic accidents in 2010 on just four of the country's long-distance highways. The most traveled long distance highways in the country are Duarte, Las Americas, 6 of November and the Northeast Highway, together with the Sanchez Highway, continue to be dangerous roads for drivers.
The Ground Transport Department (DGTT) attributes the accidents to reckless driving, the effects of alcoholic beverages or drug consumption, not obeying traffic signals, and to a lesser degree, to the poor condition of these roads on which 80% of the vehicles that use them are private and 20% are buses and public vehicles.
A report delivered to Diario Libre by the DGTT Safety and Accident Analysis Department, says that in 2010, there were 186 accidents on the 270-km Autopista Duarte, the main road in the country, which connects the north with the Dominican capital. Of these accidents, 88 were collisions between vehicles and 192 people were killed. One recent case happened on March 7 when eight Haitians were injured when the SUV in which they were traveling skidded off the highway near Mao.
On Las Americas, a basically tourist route that goes towards the east, 49 accidents occurred last year, 25 between vehicles and leaving 43 dead. In 18 accidents registered on the westbound 6 of November Highway, 14 people were killed and 11 were injured as the result of collisions. Last March eight people were killed and six were injured from a collision on the stretch of road between Azua and Bani.
On the Sanchez Highway, which is 237 kilometers long and goes to the south, there were 67 accidents with 59 fatalities. "Fully 70% of the causes of these accidents are the result of the driver's attitude, specifically because they do not respect the signals, they talk on their cell phones, they are drunk...and the other causes such as holes in the road, the deterioration of the roadways, of the vehicle itself are minor causes," said deputy minister Luis Estrella, manager of the DGTT, part of the Public Works Ministry.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)
The Ground Transport Department (DGTT) attributes the accidents to reckless driving, the effects of alcoholic beverages or drug consumption, not obeying traffic signals, and to a lesser degree, to the poor condition of these roads on which 80% of the vehicles that use them are private and 20% are buses and public vehicles.
A report delivered to Diario Libre by the DGTT Safety and Accident Analysis Department, says that in 2010, there were 186 accidents on the 270-km Autopista Duarte, the main road in the country, which connects the north with the Dominican capital. Of these accidents, 88 were collisions between vehicles and 192 people were killed. One recent case happened on March 7 when eight Haitians were injured when the SUV in which they were traveling skidded off the highway near Mao.
On Las Americas, a basically tourist route that goes towards the east, 49 accidents occurred last year, 25 between vehicles and leaving 43 dead. In 18 accidents registered on the westbound 6 of November Highway, 14 people were killed and 11 were injured as the result of collisions. Last March eight people were killed and six were injured from a collision on the stretch of road between Azua and Bani.
On the Sanchez Highway, which is 237 kilometers long and goes to the south, there were 67 accidents with 59 fatalities. "Fully 70% of the causes of these accidents are the result of the driver's attitude, specifically because they do not respect the signals, they talk on their cell phones, they are drunk...and the other causes such as holes in the road, the deterioration of the roadways, of the vehicle itself are minor causes," said deputy minister Luis Estrella, manager of the DGTT, part of the Public Works Ministry.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)