An average of six people die every day from traffic accidents in Guatemala, 191 every month and more than 2,000 a year. After murder, road accidents constitute the second highest cause of deaths in this Central American territory.
Zeus Naya
Less than a week ago, a bus lost control for unknown reasons. The driver was 24 years old and did not have a driving license. The final outcome was 54 dead and 8 wounded.
There was a period of national morning, statements from the Government and Congress, announcements of measures, displays of solidarity and, even, condolences sent from Pope Francis in a letter.
Days later, a guagua (bus) ended up about to fall into an abyss while it was heading towards Villa Nueva, the municipality of the capital, and a tractomula (lorry) which was going at high speed, crashed into an intermunicipal bus on the Atlantic route. Further back, in 2022, a doctor attended a similar disaster which ended with a girl of 15 years losing her life. The doctor held the authorities responsible for not monitoring driving speeds.
According to the results from a reliable study disclosed by the National Economic Research Centre (CIEN), recklessness at the wheel and lack of control on the roads is constantly increasing the number of accidents, then causes high vehicle load and, worst of all, bleeds the country dry, analysts warned in statements to the press.
At the root of the latest events, the Extra-urban Passenger Transport Union addressed an open letter to President Bernardo Arevalo, in which it reported a series of failures. It exposed the lack of policies for “de-junking” (scrapping useless objects), obsolescence of the Law dated 3 July 1946, undoing agreements, lacking a “Flight School” (for drivers) and obligatory insurance and extortion payments.
Congress has already urged the President to safeguard the fulfilment of laws passed in previous years to increase control on the bodies of public and heavy load transport.
Traffic data from the Civil National Police (PNC) reflected at the beginning of last January an increase in road accidents and mortality of 4.5% and 4.3% in 2024, compared to the same period last year.
Fatalities reached 2,352, an increase of 96 in relation to the 2,256 of 2023, according to official figures.
Motorbikes are the vehicle with the largest number of accidents, constituting 49% of the total.
CIEN explained that human error is one of the main causes, in addition to excessive speed, driving under the effects of alcohol and not using seatbelts or helmets on two-wheeled vehicles. Furthermore, the poor state of the roads significantly contributed to the high mortality rate.
Heavy-duty and public transport, which make up 7% of vehicles, were twice as likely to be involved, remarked the Research Centre.
The head of state of Guatemala instructed the Home Office minister to complete the process of socialising the regulations of the Traffic Law and for it to come into force in the coming days.
This regulation, experts said, will seek to establish very strict conditions for operation of public transport buses, and to clarify the responsibilities of businesses and drivers.
The aforementioned experts said that the solution to the problem needs some force, political will, integral analysis, and revision over and over again at all levels. PL
(Translated by Donna Davison. Email: donna_davison@hotmail.com) – Photos: Pixabay
.jpg)
