Although accident rates throughout the country tend to decrease, the number of minors killed in traffic accidents has increased. The number of minors without high visibility vest who die in traffic accidents has increased, according to recently published data. Although traffic accident rates have fallen recently, children and adolescents continue to form a large part of the victims of road accidents.
According to a study conducted by the Gonzalo Foundation, of 29 minors who died in 2016 at road events, 15 of them traveled by motorcycle. The department with the most alarming numbers is Canelones, since it is the one with the highest number of children and adolescents who died on a motorcycle (20), followed by Montevideo (18). In third and fourth place are San José and Paysandú, with 6 and 5 deaths respectively. Of a total of 44 people killed in Canelones due to traffic accidents, 20 of them were traveling by motorcycle.
They recommend taking actions
From these numbers, the Gonzalo Foundation recommended to the authorities to better regulate the transfer of children on motorcycles, to supervise the correct use of safety measures (helmet, reflective vest, with respect to the speed regulation, etc.) while encouraging to "generate spaces for analysis and exchange that contribute to improving the transfer conditions of children traveling on motorcycles".
Florence, in charge of carrying out the investigation, assured the newspaper El País that in our country "we do have a decrease in the number of deaths and injuries, and in children and adolescents (0 to 17 years) this trend is also a low one.” He added that "However, according to the studies conducted and presented to the Departmental Board of Montevideo and the Edibles Congress in July of this year, the accidents of children who died on motorcycles in 2016 increased."
Other data exposed by the National Road Safety Unit (UNASEV) concluded that. There is a "critical period" between Friday and Monday of each week. The critical hours are between 20 hours on Friday and 8 hours on Monday, which is when 42% of deaths occur, involving young people from 20 to 29 years in 31% of cases.