Every Day Two Cubans Die and 19 Are Injured in Traffic Crashes

The main causes of crashes are incursions into the opposite lane and distraction. (Majaguabo Radio)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Havana, 25 May 2023 — The more than 3,000 traffic accidents registered in Cuba between January and April of this year caused the deaths of 243 Cubans and left 2,300 injured, confirmed the National Road Safety Commission.

According to the data released this Wednesday by the Cuban News Agency (ACN) , Sunday is the deadliest day of the week in terms of those killed by crashes, followed by Thursday and Friday and the time period of noon to 6:00 PM is the most prone to the occurrence of these crashes.

On average, two Cubans died every day and 19 were injured in a traffic crash in the first four months of 2023.

These figures are given in the midst of a severe fuel crisis that has paralyzed a large part of public and private transport. The plummeting supply of hydrocarbons has significantly reduced the circulation of vehicles on the streets and highways of the Island and forced drivers to spend long hours, or days, in line at service stations.

Crashes due to the terrible conditions of the streets, with potholes or cracks, are becoming more frequent, but the road authorities assure that this cause affects only 7.2% of the crashes reported in the first four months of the year and “they did not constitute their origin,” justified the ACN in its note. On the other hand, 92.8% of the crashes occurred due to the collision of moving vehicles, the report says.

The authorities attribute the main causes of the crashes to incursions into the opposite lane and the lack of attention in driving. Mechanical damage, speeding and driving the vehicle under the influence of alcoholic beverages are also causes.

The Commission held drivers and pedestrians responsible for “being the authors” of 89% of the crashes and 94% of the deaths. The ages of the fatalities range from 31 to 55 years, and the majority of cases correspond to the provinces of Cienfuegos, Havana, Holguín and Matanzas.

At the end of last year, 700 people died in the 9,848 vehicle crashes registered on the Island, which represented an increase of 18% compared to those killed in 2021, while the number of crashes increased by 17%.

In 2022, crashes left 7,547 injured, 28% more than the previous year, and 22% of deaths correspond to pedestrians being run over, the Police Traffic Division reported to the official press.

One of the most serious crashes this year occurred at the beginning of May in San Antonio del Sur, Guantanamo, in which four people lost their lives, including the parents of twin babies just 10 months old. One of the girls escaped unharmed while her sister, Aimara Rodríguez Heredia, was seriously injured and had to undergo surgery. This week, the official press reported that the minor is in recovery and that she was transferred to intermediate care.

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