QCOSTARICA — Almost half of people seriously injured in traffic accidents died some time after, according to data from the Estudio de Movilidad Segura 2024 (Safe Mobility Study 2024), prepared by the Center for Urban Sustainability (CPSU) and in official data from both from the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC) and the Road Safety Council (Cosevi).
The information revealed that between 2012 and 2023, 9,193 deaths occurred as a result of incidents on roads, of which 53.5% occurred at the scene of the emergency; while 46.5% occurred weeks after the accidents.
For example, in 2012, 672 total deaths were recorded, of which 332 occurred at the scene of the accident. Subsequently, 649 total deaths were reported in 2013, 674 in 2014, 779 in 2015, 897 in 2016, 889 in 2017 and 836 in 2018.
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In 2019 there were 731 deaths, in 2020 there were 588, in 2021 there were around 725, in 2022 it was 864 and in 2023, 889; according to data from the report.
This distorts the numbers we receive from official reports from the Policia de Transito (Traffic Police), the Cruz Roja (Red Cross), and other sources, since only deaths at the scene of a traffic accident are included in official statistics.
If we include the deaths of those injured and die some time later, the data for road deaths are even higher.
“This difference between total deaths due to accidents and those that occur on site shows us an extremely serious situation in the country in terms of public health and costs in dealing with accidents.
“We must adopt a safe system approach that allows us to comprehensively address the road crisis we have in the country. This must be a priority issue at the national level and become a State policy,” said Steinvorth.
According to the report, the costs associated with insurers reached around ¢7.12 billion colones between 2015 and 2023.
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The concern is greater because behind each traffic incident there is greater pressure on the health systems and the country’s finances.
The study found that for each death that occurs on the road, another four are seriously injured, while 29 suffer minor injuries, which require generating disabilities, between 6 and 30 days.
Traffic Police authorities warned about driving during December, a month in which statistics of road accidents usually skyrocket. In December 2023 alone, 69 people died, that is, an average of 3 per day.
Editor’s note: While I write this report, just a few blocks away lies the body of at least one driver involved in a serious traffic accident, waiting for judicial authorities to give the order to remove the body and the traffic police to reopen the road between Piedades and Rio Oro, in Santa Ana. According to preliminary reports, the event occurred at around 2:00 am, while at 7:53 am, the Traffic Police, the Fuerza Publica (national police), and the OIJ are waiting on the required presence of a judge, before the accident can be cleared and the road reopened.
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