Every hour a life is lost in a traffic accident!- June 10th: Traffic Safety Day

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Created: Thursday, 17 July 2014 17:16

June 10th: Traffic Safety Day

Every hour a life is lost in a traffic accident!

152.970 deaths in the last 20 years.

 

In the last 20 years, 152.970 people have died in Argentina in traffic accidents. This means a rising average of 22 deaths per day and hundreds of injured people. It is, without any doubt, the biggest tragedy that we Argentinians suffer.

 

Even though the United Nations have declared years 2011-2020 the “Decade of Action for Road Safety”and the participating countries have compromised to take action in order to diminish significantly the number of dead and injured people in traffic accidents, there have been no substantial advances that led to an important disminution in the number of deaths and injuries, that would be reached by:

 

  • the permanent and and generalised use of helmet in a moped, a motorcycle or a bicycle
  • the permanent and generalised use of safety belts in the remaining vehicles
  • the permanent and generalised enforcement of speed limits
  • the permanent and generalised control of alcohol and drug consumption in drivers
  • the generalised priority of pedestrians

Some problems are worsening

  • In the country, the number of deaths by moped or motorcycle is multiplying, and, in many cases, caused by not using a helmet, even when it is mandatory to wear one. This situation is neither controlled nor enforced in most cities or towns from the provinces or in the surroundings of Buenos Aires.
  • From 2007 to present time, the usage of cellphones by drivers has duplicated, and triplicated in pedestrians, according to researches by Luchemos por la Vida.
  • The usage of bicycles in Buenos Aires and other cities is encouraged without even controlling the enforcement of the most elementary regulations of safety for cyclistssuch as wearing a helmet, and without providing a proper and safe infraestructure.

All national, provincial and municipal authorities have to take on their great responsibilities on the subject, something that many of them seem to ignore.

And each of us, inhabitants, have to take on with responsibility and urgency the personal changes in our behaviour on the streetto care for our life and the life of everybody else.

 

 

Dr. Alberto Silveira

President

Luchemos por la Vida

Non-profit organization