According to a preliminary report by the Traffic Safety Commission, the greatest reduction in traffic deaths in 2022 was seen with those involving pedestrians -- adecrease of 25.
By THE STAR STAFF
Traffic Safety Commission (CST by its Spanish initials) Executive Director Luis Rodríguez Díaz announced Wednesday that 2022 concluded with 71 fewer fatalities on island roads compared to 2021.
The figure also included a decrease in deaths from highway crashes in December with six fewer than occurred during the same month in 2021.
Rodríguez Díaz attributed the marked reduction to a combination of the education effort of the government agency he leads, law enforcement by commonwealth and municipal police, and agreements with other government entities, both private and nonprofit.
“One death on the road is too many; however, today we are excited to announce this significant reduction that highlights how teamwork and citizen cooperation are key to achieving the goal of reducing fatalities on public roads,” Rodríguez Díaz said, adding that the reduction is also the result of coordinated action plans among agencies related to public safety.
The CST works on crash and death prevention campaigns in the areas of alcohol use, speed, seat belt and booster seat use, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclist safety and distracted driving with the use of cell phones. In addition, the agency promotes the Educational Park for Traffic Safety in Arecibo, along with implementation of the Standardized Sobriety Field Test.
According to the preliminary report, the line with the greatest reduction was traffic deaths involving pedestrians, of which 25 fewer were recorded, followed by motorcyclists with minus 16, passengers with minus 14, drivers with minus 14, and cyclists and riders each with minus one.
“Strengthening road safety in Puerto Rico is a collective effort, in which each of us plays a leading role,” Rodríguez Díaz said. “We look to the future with the conviction of following the path traced to reduce wrongful deaths on the roads. We will continue to reinforce our educational campaigns and preventive patrolling, as well as the call for prudence and moderation on the part of all citizens.”
“We are confident that this trend of reducing fatalities will continue, always letting it be known that road safety is everyone’s responsibility,” he added.
More information on traffic safety statistics and the educational campaigns of the CST can be found at the website www.seguridadeneltransito.com.