Pedestrian imprudence is the reason for many deaths on Costa Rica’s roads. According to figures releases by the Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT), 33 people lost their lives between January and July this year.
The numbers are alarming and top deaths of cyclists, becoming the number three cause of traffic accidents.
The number two cause of traffic accident deaths is drunk driving with 35 deaths and speeding, causing 55 fatalities in the same period.
Officials of the Policía de Tránsito say that many of the pedestrian fatalities could have been avoided if they had used the overhead passes, cross at traffic lights and at corners.
Pedestrians frequently dash across busy highways like the General Cañas in the areas of the Plaza Cariari and the Fernando Prospero in Escazú or dash out into traffic stepping off a bus, not paying attention to the oncoming traffic.
It is also common to see people begin to cross a road, aware of an oncoming vehicle, but unable to properly calcuate the speed and distance of the vehicle or believing that a vehicle can come to a full stop in an instant.
And not uncommon for people to cross the highway under the pedestrian overpasses in front of the Cariari Plaza, or hospital México or CIMA. Although the MOPT has erected a divider fence to frustrate pedestrians, holes in the fences have been made or take the time to walk around the fence and made a mad dash rather than use the overhead pass.
Tránsito officials say that many see road safety as a subject for drivers and not all that use the public roads.
