El Salvador traffic. Photo by Romeo Rodriguez, the Minister of Public Works, affirmed that the traffic accidents in El Salvador in 2021 had been reduced by 6.8%, compared to 2019; it is equivalent to 1,367 fewer accidents that have occurred on the roads, said the minister.
Minister Rodriguez made the affirmation at a press conference held yesterday at the Periferico Claudia Lars. The Minister of Public Works (MOP), Romeo Rodríguez, and Saúl Castaneda, head of the VMT, highlighted the reduction in accidents.
We compare it with 2019 because, in 2020, there were circulation restrictions due to the confinement of COVID-19. In 2019 we had about 1.3 vehicles, and in 2021, 1.5 million in circulation. In other words, by having more cars, there are fewer road accidents.” Minister Romeo Rodriguez.
Rodriguez emphasized that the reduction has been due to the joint effort that the Vice Ministry of Transportation of El Salvador VMT has made in coordination with the Salvadoran police and traffic officers.
The minister also highlighted that during the execution of the Christmas 2021 Plan, more than 4,000 anti-doping tests were performed.
The anti-doping checkpoints by the government allow to regulate and control the speed of drivers and enforce driving laws. Driving in El Salvador is dangerous, especially during the holidays.
The causes that continue to cause accidents are crossing the lane, driver distraction, non-compliance with the rules, not keeping the distance, and drunk driving.
Even though the number of accidents declined in 2020, the fatalities rate due to traffic accidents increased, but they are less than in 2019.
At the end of 2021, Salvadoran authorities reported the arrest of 1,511 people for the crime of dangerous driving. El Salvador roads are becoming safer due to the efforts of the Nayib Bukele administration.
