Unmarked Patrols Surprise Careless Drivers
In an effort to reduce the number of traffic accidents and deaths due to speeding and drinking and driving and careless driving (the idiot drivers), the Policía de Tránsito (Traffic Police) have adopted a new type of patrols which has never been seen in Costa Rica and has caught more than one driver surprised - unmarked patrol cars and no uniformed officers.

The unmarked cars, driven by Tránsito not in uniform is new to a country where driving seems not to be a privilege but a right, taking up all the road space one needs and driving at speeds in a manner that is no considerate of others sharing the road, or pedestrians for that matter.

Last year during Semana Santa, 33 people lost their lives due to traffic accidents. In 2005, the number was 30. And during last month 39 people died in traffic accidents, bringing the total deaths for 2007 to 108.

The major routes of concern for the Tránsito officials is the Ruta 32 - the San José - Limón highway that runs through the Zurqui and because of inclement weather at its highest points and the many blind curves through the mountains, add speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol, has become one of the most dangerous highways in the country.

The other routes that will be under the watchful eyes of Tránsito officials is the Interamericana Norte - San José to Guanacaste, the Interamericana Sur, San José to points south and the San José - Jacó - Quepos routes.

During this holiday season, non uniformed Tránsito officials in their marked cars will be radioing ahead to marked patrol cars and uniformed officials, who will stop the offending driver who will be ticketed for his or erratic driving.

Of major concern to the patrol is the deadly practice of passing on a double centre yellow line and/or under a curve, where visibility of oncoming traffic is zero.

Meanwhile, uniformed Tránsito officials have been staging "operativos" - road blocks and spot checks along all the major routes, with the aim of slowing down traffic and pulling drunk drivers off the road completely.

On the Ruta 32, one Tránsito official sees it this way "they do not measure the consequences of what can happen on a road like this, the drivers is what makes this road dangerous", said Tránsito officer Adrían Garita.

Tránsito police reports that as of 3:00pm yesterday, more than 700 fines had been issued to drivers on Ruta 32, the majority for speeding and unlawful passing and 46 vehicles confiscated because the drivers where over the alcohol limit. And that number is only on one highway.

The number of deaths due to traffic accidents as of yesterday was five. But there is still a lot of vacation time to go.
Tránsito authorities are hoping that these new measures and stricter controls will keep the numbers this year real low.