Post by livinginmedellin on Sept 4, 2016 9:17:32 GMT -5
Motorcycle fatalities have increased 35 percent in Medellín. This year so far 74 motorcyclists have been killed in Medellin, 19 more than the previous year.
In the last five years the trend in Medellin is that 60 percent of all road accidents involving motorcycles. Especially concerning is the increasing deaths of these drivers.
According to the Department of Transportation, so far this year are 74 motorcycle deaths, compared with 55 in the same previous period. This represents an increase of 35 percent. To this figure it is added 12 motorcycle passengers are also dead.
For mobility expert at the National University, Ivan Sarmiento, this increase is a serious phenomenon that breaks the behavioral tendencies of accidents.
The expert said that if you look at the previous years, the death toll in accidents did not increase, it decreased slightly, despite the increased number of daily trips.
"It is an outlier. With all the education, road safety education campaigns, the courses for offenders, it is expected that statistics are maintained and that people behave better on the road, "Sarmiento reiterated.
It also declared that accidents increase, but not deaths because as the fleet grows, there is more traffic and drivers are supposed to go slower.
Official figures show that between January and August there were 30,674 car accidents in the city, of which 18,693 involved motorcycles, while last year there were 29,878 accidents, 17,759 were drivers on motorbikes.
Undersecretary of Transportation, Mario Ramirez said one of the problems is the increase of the fleet, especially in motorcycles.
To which is added the bikes are added in other municipalities of Aburrá Valley because it is cheaper, but these vehicles are circulating in Medellin.
Last year the fleet grew 17 percent compared to 2014 in the city. "These vehicles that are economical and efficient, but they must be used responsibly," he added.
That is not all, motorcyclists are ones that most disobey traffic rules, leading to speeding and red traffic lights.
"There is a social disobedience, drivers do not wear helmets, vests, refractive at night or turn on the lights, which are mandatory, many are deficient in mirrors," he added.
As he agreed Sarmiento, ensuring that in many cases the cause of the accident is the despair of drivers to get to their destination.
For example, when there is more congestion there are more committed indiscretions, the motorcycles acting dangerously, they make prohibited crossings and go when traffic lights turn red.
The areas that have photo detectors for those who violate traffic rules. In Medellin there are 40 camera photo detection points in a network that has 600 traffic lights and cross and interceptions of 10,000.
"If motorcyclists already know the location of the cameras do what they want where there are none, then what good are they. I'm not against photo detectors because they need more, but they alone will not do the entire job should be accompanied by strategies", added the expert.
While motorcyclists are victims on the road, they are more pedestrians killed by speeding. According to the figures, in the year so far 83 pedestrians were killed and 70 percent of cases was hit by a motorcyclist.
See (in Spanish): www.eltiempo.com/colombia/medellin/accidentes-de-motos-en-medellin/16690014
In the last five years the trend in Medellin is that 60 percent of all road accidents involving motorcycles. Especially concerning is the increasing deaths of these drivers.
According to the Department of Transportation, so far this year are 74 motorcycle deaths, compared with 55 in the same previous period. This represents an increase of 35 percent. To this figure it is added 12 motorcycle passengers are also dead.
For mobility expert at the National University, Ivan Sarmiento, this increase is a serious phenomenon that breaks the behavioral tendencies of accidents.
The expert said that if you look at the previous years, the death toll in accidents did not increase, it decreased slightly, despite the increased number of daily trips.
"It is an outlier. With all the education, road safety education campaigns, the courses for offenders, it is expected that statistics are maintained and that people behave better on the road, "Sarmiento reiterated.
It also declared that accidents increase, but not deaths because as the fleet grows, there is more traffic and drivers are supposed to go slower.
Official figures show that between January and August there were 30,674 car accidents in the city, of which 18,693 involved motorcycles, while last year there were 29,878 accidents, 17,759 were drivers on motorbikes.
Undersecretary of Transportation, Mario Ramirez said one of the problems is the increase of the fleet, especially in motorcycles.
To which is added the bikes are added in other municipalities of Aburrá Valley because it is cheaper, but these vehicles are circulating in Medellin.
Last year the fleet grew 17 percent compared to 2014 in the city. "These vehicles that are economical and efficient, but they must be used responsibly," he added.
That is not all, motorcyclists are ones that most disobey traffic rules, leading to speeding and red traffic lights.
"There is a social disobedience, drivers do not wear helmets, vests, refractive at night or turn on the lights, which are mandatory, many are deficient in mirrors," he added.
As he agreed Sarmiento, ensuring that in many cases the cause of the accident is the despair of drivers to get to their destination.
For example, when there is more congestion there are more committed indiscretions, the motorcycles acting dangerously, they make prohibited crossings and go when traffic lights turn red.
The areas that have photo detectors for those who violate traffic rules. In Medellin there are 40 camera photo detection points in a network that has 600 traffic lights and cross and interceptions of 10,000.
"If motorcyclists already know the location of the cameras do what they want where there are none, then what good are they. I'm not against photo detectors because they need more, but they alone will not do the entire job should be accompanied by strategies", added the expert.
While motorcyclists are victims on the road, they are more pedestrians killed by speeding. According to the figures, in the year so far 83 pedestrians were killed and 70 percent of cases was hit by a motorcyclist.
See (in Spanish): www.eltiempo.com/colombia/medellin/accidentes-de-motos-en-medellin/16690014