14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 28 May 2024 — The Toyota logo was barely visible on the destroyed hood of a car belonging to the Cuban Foreign Ministry that, this Tuesday, hit an almendrón* on the corner of 17th and G, in Havana’s El Vedado. The impact mark was left on the right side of the old vehicle – whose driver was taken by ambulance to the hospital with injuries – while the modern car had activated the airbag to protect its passengers.
Not a single one of the traffic lights on the Havana corner was working. Blackouts have put traffic in the capital in check and crashes due to lack of coordination of vehicles are becoming more frequent. A police officer guarded the place.
When 14ymedio arrived at the scene, the almendrón, which had overturned, was a few steps from the Toyota, both empty. We were struck by the fact that the first one – with a more resistant body – was more damaged than the second, which had more safety measures in its favor. Because they lack interior padding and seat belts, almendrónes are less safe for passengers. Another danger of these vehicles are the windows, which are often not the original ones and which, upon impact, tend to crack, not fragment, so the risk of being stabbed by a broken glass increases.
The official press put the number of crashes that occurred in Cuba in 2023 at 8,556, with 729 deaths and 5,938 people injured. According to information offered by the official newspaper Granma in January of this year, the irresponsibility of drivers and pedestrians caused 91% of these crashes. Other times it is the distraction of pedestrians, combined with disorientation due to the lack of traffic lights, that causes the crash.
17th and G is a dangerous corner. In March 2023, also in the middle of a blackout and without traffic lights, a white Volkswagen hit an orange Polski Fiat, which came to rest on its side on the street. The accident left two injured and, minutes later, the power was back on. This Tuesday history repeats itself, but the blackout continues.
*Translator’s note: An “almendrón” — named for its almond shape — is a classic American car, commonly in use as a fixed-route shared taxi.
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