The first quarter of 2024 has a positive balance regarding road accidents in the province. The rationale: from January to April the number of road accidents decreased by 26% and, also, there were 34% fewer fatalities than in the same period in 2023, according to data provided by the Directorate of Coordination, Planning and Control of the Road Safety, belonging to the San Juan Police. Antonio Salinas, chief commissioner and second head of this police unit, said that this drop is mainly due to the fact that prevention was reinforced and that people are becoming aware of the importance of respecting the signs and recommendations for safe driving.
According to official data, between January 1 and April 26 of this year, 2,008 road accidents were recorded in the province, while in the first four months of 2023 there were 2,711. This shows a decrease of 26%, a situation that is also reflected in the number of fatalities, although with a higher percentage. In the first four months of this year, 23 people lost their lives in these types of events, while in the same period last year there were 35, that is, 34% more.
The data also shows a decrease in the total number of injuries in this type of incident so far this year compared to the previous year. In this first four months there were a total of 1,012 injured people (820 minor and 192 serious), while in the first 4 months of 2023 there were 1,201 (936 minor and 265 serious).
Faced with these numbers that show a positive balance, the chief commissioner, Antonio Salinas, said that this is because prevention was reinforced throughout the province, with more control operations, road education and training, by the Police of San Juan, from the Security Secretariat and the Transit Directorate. He added that different activities are being carried out that generate more awareness, such as Driver Education talks for students of all levels, safe driving training for state drivers and the increase in road prevention services by the Police. ‘We are working hard on prevention with a greater presence on the streets. In this framework we have created a police checkpoint in Huaco (Jáchal) and another in Baldecitos (Valle Fértil). And to these we add the Road Prevention Operational Units in the Valle Fértil, Jáchal, Calingasta and Sarmiento departments, due to the accident rate on their routes. These units carry out strong awareness and road education work both on the streets and by going to schools and radio stations in these communities. “We are giving a strong message of prevention that we believe is reaching people,” Salinas said.
According to official statistics, this year there was only an increase in the number of cyclists who were involved in a road accident as well as the number of people who lost their lives days after being involved in an event of this type.
In the first four months of this year, 168 accidents involving cyclists were recorded, while in the same period in 2023 there were 155. And the number of deaths subsequently went from 3 in 2023 to 6 this year.
Most damaged vehicles
Like last year, motorcycles occupy second place as the vehicles with the highest participation in road accidents, abandoning the first place they occupied in other years. And comparing the first quarter of 2023 and 2024, there is also a decrease in accidents caused by this type of vehicles. In the first 4 months of 2023, motorcycles intervened in 915 accidents on the streets of San Juan, while in this same period of this year they intervened in 713 accidents.
According to data provided by the Police, it is cars that lead the ranking of accidents in the province. In the first four months of 2023, there were 1,154 road accidents; while in the same period this year, they starred in a total of 917. While the 3rd place in the ranking is occupied by trucks. In 2023, 341 were involved in an accident, while in 2024 there were 99.
