Tránsito Police Holiday Campaign Kicks Off Early
Christmas this year has not only come early to merchants, who have had their Christmas displays and merchandise on sale since the middle of last month, but also at the Policía de Tránsito, who today commence their "December" operatives.

Karla González, Ministra de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT) - public works and transportation minister - announced yesterday that her 800 Tránsito (traffic) officials will be out in full force beginning today with their preventative campaign.

"We want that the Tránsito not only be seen giving out tickets, but are concerned about reducing the number of accidents", said the minister.

The minister said that the Tránsito, who traditionally hits the streets in ther preventive campaign the first week in December, will be out early to educate drivers and reduce accidents, as well as relieve congestion on the roads.

The minister added that the Tránsito officials will be out giving out flyers and participate in special programs during the weekends to bring attention to the public of the need to reduce the number of deaths, especially during this holiday season, on the roads.

Sunday November 19, for example, said the minister, there will be a walk dedicated to motorcyclists to focus on the increasing number of traffic accidents involving motorcycles. "We want to insist over again that when one is riding a motorcycle, one is not invisible and motorcyclists think they are invisible and that is when fatal accidents occur", said González.

High speeding, drinking and driving, not wearing seatbelts and talking on a cellular phone while driving will be the focus of other campaigns by the Tránsito authorities.

Figures by the Consejo de Seguridad Vial (Cosevi) show that this year there have been 223 deaths due to traffic accidents, 60 of which were pedestrians. Speeding, illegal passing and driving under the influence continue to the major factors in fatal accidents, Cosevi figures show.

Germán Marín, director of the Policía de Tránsito, added that the focus will be on areas of high incidents of accidents involving pedestrians, especially in the highly populated areas of Hatillo and Parque de la Paz (Desamparados) that the Circunvalación (ring road) crosses. In the Hatillos, mad dashes by pedestrians across the busy highway have been the casue of a number of accidents, many of them fatal.

Like in the La Paz park, pedestrians in the Hatillos and the General Cañas, continue to refuse to use the overhead pedestrian bridges.

Other areas of high interest by the Policía de Tránsito, according to director Marín, are in the areas of Dan Diego de la Unión, érez Zeledón, Puntarenas and Limón.