QCOSTARICA – The recklessness of drivers continues to cost lives every day on the roads of Costa Rica.
The most recent cut by the Cruz Roja (Red Cross) that, along with other first responder agencies, attends traffic accidents, indicates that so far this year, 344 people have lost their lives in a traffic accident.
That is on average 1.21 fatalities on the country’s roads for each day of the first 281 days of this 2022.
That figure includes only deaths at the scene of the accident.
Given this, authorities make a call to one and all to be careful while on the roads, especially this time of year, due to the saturation of the soil after the heavy rains, in particular in recent days, a situation that can increase traffic accidents.
According to the Policia de Transito (Traffic Police), some of the most detected (drivers caught) and sanctioned behaviors included driving with an expired license, being under the influence of alcohol, transporting children without a child restraint device, not wearing a seat belt, and using a cell phone while driving.
Over the weekend, the Policia de Transito reported that during a police operation carried in Barrio California, in San José east end, some 105 drivers were fined for a variety of traffic offences, of which 23 license plates were confiscated.
On that, due to the high volume of impounded vehicles in Transito ‘patios’ (impound lots), typically traffic officials will confiscate license plates and not the vehicle, leaving drivers/owners to either two the vehicle or chance of getting stopped, again, and more fines.
Reclaiming confiscated plates requires that ALL (the current and any outstanding) fines be paid before a visit (by appointment only) to the area office where the plates were seized.
To reclaim an impounded vehicle, again all fines must be paid and ONLY THE REGISTERED OWNER or legal representative can make the claim.
