The Traffic Police reported this Tuesday that 18 people died in road accidents during the past week and assures that it applied more than 6,500 fines in a vehicle safety plan that does not seem to have results to applaud, since it has not managed to significantly reduce the number of accidents that occur on the roads.
According to the police report presented by the head of National Transit, Vilma Reyes, and which was published in the official propaganda medium El 19 Digital, during the so-called Road Emergency Plan, developed between Monday 24 and Sunday 30 April, 770 collisions occurred across the country. The report does not specify whether there were other types of accidents. 24 people were injured.
Among the main causes of fatal accidents are 8 due to excessive speed; 7 for driving while intoxicated, one for pedestrian recklessness, one more for lane invasion and another died in an accident caused by the presence of a livestock on the road. Likewise, the Ortega police official explained that of the 18 deceased, 8 were drivers, 7 pedestrians and 3 passengers.
Fines left and right
The Ortega Police have been criticized by analysts because they have prioritized traffic fines as a method of “raising money” rather than a way to prevent accidents on the roads.
According to the police chief, during the past week they seized 5,504 vehicles including cars, motorcycles, vans, trucks and buses. In addition, they applied a total of “6,510 fines, related to the main causes that cause traffic accidents with victims, such as drunk driving, speeding and lane invasion.”
Related news: Nicaraguan police fined almost six thousand drivers in a week
Motorcyclists who did not wear their respective protective helmets were the ones who received the most fines with 1,110 infraction tickets and must pay a fine of 500 córdobas to recover their driver’s licenses. In addition, the Police seized 204 vehicles.
Driving under the influence of alcohol is another of the reasons why more fines are applied, according to the Police report. Law 431, Law for the regime of vehicular circulation and traffic violations, in its article 26, establishes that whoever drives under the influence of alcohol or another hallucinogenic substance must pay fines ranging between 4,000 and 5,000 córdobas.
Reyes assured that road regulation points were established last week in 74 dangerous road sections. They also placed troops in 587 critical points.
Likewise, the police report details that they carried out 5,205 mechanical inspections in markets, stops and bus terminals, mainly to collective, selective, caponera and private transport units. The Traffic Law penalizes with fines ranging from C$250 to C$500 for poor mechanical condition in vehicles that circulate on the roads of the country.
