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Peru's transportation ministry hopes to reduce highway deaths 50 percent

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Peru's Ministry of Transportation hopes to reduce  the number of highway-related deaths fifty percent in the next two years, said the head of the ministry, Verónica Zavala.

In an interview with RPP news reporters, Zavala exhorted regional and local governments to join the ministry in its crusade against deaths on Peru's roads.

Explaining that every year there were twenty-seven deaths for every 10,000 vehicles in the Andean country, Zavala stated Peru had one of the highest mortality rates in the region.

She added that the rising number of deaths was related to the increasing number of vehicles in Peru.

"We need to have goals and be very aggressive. As there are more vehicles in the country and more trips are taken, even if one is heading in the right direction, the number of deaths will vary," explained Minister Zavala.

Affirming more motorists were speeding because of better road conditions, she stated this was one of the main factors that influenced the number of accidents.

The problem needs to be handled on two fronts, said Zavala. Police need to constantly watch the streets and motorists have to be educated on how to drive more safely.

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# mericorps says :
29 August, 2008 [ 13:02 ]

They come out with the same lie every time this year, then do nothing because they are scared of the transportation mafia.

I think the Minister should go to jail for her failure to act, complicity in the deaths.

If I were here, I would suffer the strikes and go on tv and radio and the papers every day and night with photos of the vicitms of unsafe bus accidents, and their surviving families or people with disabilities because of the accidents standing beside me and explain to the people why the entire system needs to be over-hauled...for the safety of Peru. And let the transport mafia disintigrate.

# jb says :
29 August, 2008 [ 13:18 ]

You are absolutely correct, Mericorps.  I will wait to see this change come to pass.  But I won't hold my breath.

# Mr Mayor says :
29 August, 2008 [ 20:36 ]

We should poison her.

# Mark says :
30 August, 2008 [ 07:46 ]

Hehehe

Peace

Mark

# RachelinPeru says :
30 August, 2008 [ 15:17 ]

Traffic laws are only enforced when there are TV cameras around. The whole "Zero Tolerance" campaign is one of the biggest government jokes.

Peru has the oldest traffic laws...Obviously, because they haven't changed or they are obsolete at this point.

# jb says :
31 August, 2008 [ 07:16 ]

It's easy to pass laws.  The legislature looks like heroes.  They come out on TV saying how "tough" they are with these new laws.  But we already have hundred maybe thousands of laws that continuously go unenforced.  Or we have judges that will claim jurisdiction (a la Sanchez-Paredes) in order to trump some other judge's decision or ruling. 

# Smellybiker says :
31 August, 2008 [ 19:45 ]

Really easy to enforce this - just make *all* congress-critters & officials  travel everywhere by bus.

My favourite is the road from Arequipa to the coast in a speeding bus with bald tyres, at night, in the fog.

# jb says :
1 September, 2008 [ 18:07 ]

Smellybiker, you are correct.  It is the same argument for US congressman who believe the public school system is OK.  Make them send their kids to a Washington DC public school and see how fast school vouchers become a reality.

# David N says :
1 September, 2008 [ 22:30 ]

Possibly the funniest line on this site:

"...motorists have to be educated on how to drive more safely."

Peru has to have some of the worst drivers in the world.  I have never seen such total disregard for human life as on the streets of Peru.  Drivers do things on the streets of Lima that would have them jailed on reckless endangerment charges in civilized countries. 

Educated?  That's hysterical.   Most drivers in Peru need psyciatric help.