As of August 31, 299 people died on the highway, after that month they reported 43 lives lost at the road accident site.
These figures reflect a significant increase in deaths in the previous month, July, when 33 deaths were added. Compared to last year, the month of August 2017 reported 30 fatalities, 13 less than the month just ended.
The director of the Traffic Police, German Marin, explained: "We have almost daily monitoring and we were very concerned about the behavior that was presenting the month of August. Unfortunately, our projections were correct and there was a significant increase in fatalities. "
"If we compare it, this year we have already exceeded four times the number of 40 deaths, while last year they were also 4 times, with the aggravating factor that we still have a four-month period of 2018 and December is usually a very tragic month on the road , with so much playful activity typical of Christmas and the end of the year, "added the director.
The results on the road, adding up all the death, are very similar to those of last year, since there is currently 299 death as of August 31 and in the first two quarters of 2017, 300 lives were lost.
"We are always going to want the least amount of death on the tracks. On that side, having a less lost life is good, but we want the positive gap to be greater. So, of course, we must prepare for this last quarter, but we also need people to modify their behavior on the road. "explained Marin.
Marin's comment is regarding speed abuse is supported by statistics, 85 of the 299 dead until August died in accidents where speed is presumed to be the cause of the accident. It is the main cause of death on the road, surpassing the invasion of lane with 74 fatalities and the imprudence of the pedestrian who is located in the third position with 28 cases.
44% of the people who lost their lives between January and August traveled on a motorcycle (131 of the 299 cases). Abusing speed, making improper overtaking, driving contrarian, are some of the reasons that influence these mishaps, in addition to other behaviors attributable to other drivers who, for example, skip a stop sign or a traffic light and ram the motorcyclist.
Regardless of the reason that generates this high number of deaths on motorcycles, surpassing the car (54 deaths) by a wide margin, as the second vehicle with more deaths, the director of Traffic insists on the need to have a true culture as a motorcyclist , which includes such obvious things as wearing the helmet always and well put on, wearing light reflective vest or safety clothing, carrying the light of the motorcycle always on and, above all, assuming a defensive behavior on the road, respecting the signs and do not get carried away by that feeling that as you travel by motorcycle, you can do whatever you want.
In addition, Marin also insists that it is understandable that many motorcyclists are required maximum time to perform their work, mainly as messengers and people who deliver goods and meals, but there must be a balance between the needs of companies or customers and safeguarding the lives of motorcyclists.
