Bad practices and lack of awareness when driving, be it cars, motorcycles, trucks, buses, among others, seem to be ingrained in a good part of Venezuelans, who apply the so-called “criolla liveliness” when they are behind the wheel.
lapatilla.com correspondent
But what many do not fully understand is that these way doing things in the end become a double-edged sword which can change the life of those who practice them in seconds, or truncate the dreams of others. This is repeated throughout the whole country, making traffic accidents a serious public health problem.
The situation worsens when the victims do not have the possibility of ever getting up from the pavement and in some home there is a mother waiting for the return of a child who will never arrive.
That was the case of Miriam Casanova, mother of Edmundo Daniel Hajale Casanova, who died in the early morning of March 30th, 2024, after being hit by a vehicle when he was traveling on his motorcycle along Camejo Octavio Avenue in Lechería, Urbaneja Municipality of Anzoategui State.
“A situation like this changes life completely. The absence of a child is a very great pain and adapting is very painful. Many plans and projects remain unfinished. There is always that empty space in the family,” the lady stated.
Edmundo, 23 years old, was working as a home delivery driver at the time of the accident. This, according to family members, he did to contribute to household expenses and at the same time pay for his law studies. He was in the eighth semester.
Along with the university student was his partner, Kariannys Córdova, who also suffered multiple injuries. A month and a half after the event, this young woman continues to recover physically and mentally from the trauma she experienced that morning at the intersection between Av. Camejo Octavio and Av. Bolívar of Lechería.
Impact
The impact of those affected that carelessness generates on the road is so great that Mrs. Miriam feels panic and remembers her son’s episode every time she witnesses an infraction on the street, according to what she said.
A similar situation happens to Andrés Hajale, Edmundo’s brother, who said he feels outraged when he observes drivers committing offenses without considering the consequences these may entail.
According to the Scientific, Criminal and Criminal Investigation Corps (Cicpc), the vehicle that hit Hajale was driven by a woman, who was with two other companions, and all of them were intoxicated. Apparently, the woman who was driving ignored the traffic light and this caused the fatality.
Alarm
Although no government agency offers exact figures on the number of traffic accidents recorded in the northern part of the Anzoátegui State, the Civil Protection Instagram account shows at least six serious accidents reported during the month of April, with a balance of 13 injured and three dead.
In four of those six events motorcycles were involved, which at the time generated alarm in the population, because they occurred in succession.
People consulted believed that this is due to the proliferation of motorcycle dealers and the possibility of paying on credit for the bikes they offer.
“There should be some type of regulation or exhaustive evaluation of people who take advantage of these options to buy a motorcycle. Right now ‘any crazy person’ carries one and what it does is increase the danger, because they believe they are cruising alone on the streets,” said Erick Contreras.
Other factors
Public carriers and transport also cause concern among those who usually drive on the main avenues of Barcelona and Puerto La Cruz. On repeated occasions, the user committee of the metropolitan area has denounced that many drive at excessive speeds, but until now the authorities have not applied corrective measures.
“Many do it, especially in the afternoons, via the Alternate Route. Passengers have sent us complaints because they are afraid that a disaster will occur at any moment,” said Pablo Malavé, president of the committee.
Some drivers also pointed out that on the main avenues there are key points where traffic lights do not work, such as, for example, in Molorca or at the entrance to Tronconal III on the Intercomunal Jorge Rodríguez Avenue. There, “the law of the fastest” rules, which has already caused accidents.
Measures
Mayors such as Lechería or Barcelona have deployed security mechanisms to reduce the number of road accidents, which in principle has created the expectation of positive results.
In Urbaneja they implemented police control operations during the weekends and in a first assessment the local president, Manuel Ferreira, indicated that they had issued 329 fines for violations such as not wearing a seat belt or helmet, improper maneuvering and not respecting traffic lights.
In the capital city, police officers began to personally urge every motorist who drives without a helmet to wear it compulsorily and the mayor’s office warned that they will begin to punish those who do not adhere to the law.
Likewise, in both locations they are assigning traffic police in key places to closely ensure that both drivers and pedestrians respect the rules of citizen coexistence.
The people who are still grieving after losing a loved one in a road accident, as is the case of Miriam Casanova and Andrés Hajale, suggest installing speed bumps and carrying out awareness campaigns in schools, as they believe that Children will be bearers of the message in every home.