During the rainy season, traffic accidents increase considerably, especially in the load transportthey warn businessmen of the sector. The main causes are The wet asphalt, the imprudence of the drivers and the lack of signaling on the roads, especially on routes in the interior of the country, where road conditions worsen with rainfall.
In the metropolis, the situation is also worrying. According to estimates of the sector and relief bodies, road mishaps can be increased by up to 65% during the rainy months. The main affected are motorists, who Because of their vulnerability, they suffer more serious injuries, which in turn generates saturation in the emergency rooms of public hospitals.
Óscar González, spokesman for municipal firefighters, says that with the first rains road mishaps are constant.
“We have several factors that affect. The first is that many people do not give appropriate maintenance to their vehicles. The brakes are essential, as well as the lights, so that they have a better vision”, He explained.
González warned that many conductors do not respect the speed limits and, with the wet pavement, the risk of incidents increases for both cars and motorcycles.
Collapse in hospitals
The lifeguard stressed that the consequence of these mishaps is the increase in transfers to hospitals and, consequently, the collapse of the units.
The spokesman added that with the rainy season, accidents increase, but also respiratory diseases and other common conditions in rainy seasonwhich raises the demand for prehospital care.
“We must serve both people with clinical history and those injured by collisions,” he said.
Another determining factor, according to González, It is the mixture of alcohol with the steering wheel.
“It is a very important factor at the time of accidents. I could tell you that, of 10 accidents, six or seven are caused by people drunk,” he said.
Regarding the type of vehicles involved, bikers remain the most affected.
“From 250 traffic accident services that we attend in one day, more than 50% involve motorcycles,” he said.
González emphasized that, due to their vulnerability, motorcyclists usually suffer more serious injuries, CHow blows, friction burns or be run over due to lack of visibility.
“They are the ones who carry most of accident statistics,” he concluded.
Load transport
Every time the winter season begins, the Central American Carrier Chamber (Catransca) issues internal communications addressed to its members to reinforce caution measures among heavy transport pilots. This was explained by Héctor Fajardo, director of the entity, who said that these alerts seek to prevent accidents during the rains.
“We ask that They moderate the speed, that they do not have distractors and that are attentive, Because they must travel even if it rains, ”said Fajardo.
The carrier indicated that these recommendations are made with special emphasis on coastal areas, where the weather usually becomes more adverse during winter.
One of the main problems that drivers face, according to Fajardo, It is the deficiency in road signage, especially in provincial areas.
“There are many unfinished projects and there is no signaling. There is a lack of horizontal signaling, the lines on the asphalt, and also reflective lights,” he said.
The dawn of Thursday, May 15, a trailer collided with the railing of the overpaid passage in the peripheral ring and 23 avenue, zone 11, and caught fire. The accident damaged a transmetro approach station.
“We will have to see who pays. Many times we seek to deduce responsibilities to the driver, but it is not always his fault. The lack of signaling, for example, can cause an accident and that does not depend on the pilot, ”said Fajardo.
Fajardo concluded that in many of these cases it is necessary to monitor the transit acts to clearly establish the causes and responsibilities, since Road conditions can play a determining role in mishaps.
High costs
The vehicle park this year began with 5.8 million motor rates of all kinds, according to the Superintendence of Tax Administration (SAT). Of these, 915,542 are private vehicles (15.7%), while motorcycles total 2.8 million (48%), which can be said that there are three motorcycles for each car.
On previous occasions, the San Juan de Dios General Hospital has suspended elective surgeries due to the increase of patients in the emergency as a result of armed facts and accidents, mainly motorcycle.
The authorities of that hospital have stressed that the impact of the injured in the emergency is high, since more stretchers, medical staff and equipment are required to attend them. Waiting times for other patients are also lengthened.
Doctors indicate that The expense for serving one of these patients can go from Q2 thousand to Q50 thousand in the first 10 days of hospitalization, amount that can vary if intensive care is required. There are cases in which orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons and other specialists are involved. It was reported that patient care for motorcycle accidents consumes approximately 10% of the general hospital budget.
On average, the IGSS reports 74 daily accidents, being Friday, Saturday and Sunday where statistics increase considerably.
According to Dr. Edson Zambrano, a specialist in traumatology and orthopedics, the main injuries reported by the emergency are arms or legs, because on average, three amputations occur per week, which would result in 144 amputations annually. But head injuries also persist due to the use of poor quality helmets or the absence of this.
Rains
According to the insivumeh spokesman, César George, on May 15, the hurricane season began in the Pacific Ocean, while on June 1 it will begin in the Atlantic Ocean.
George reported that an active season is expected in the Atlantic, the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, with the formation of between 15 and 17 tropical storms, of which between seven and nine could become hurricanes; Three of them could exceed category 3. added that, in the Pacific, taking into account temperature anomalies in the regions of the phenomenon of The child, the formation of between 12 and 14 tropical storms is expected. All these meteorological phenomena, according to Insivumeh, will indirectly affect the country with rains.