©2022 Nadav Goshen
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Death Roads
The Dominican Republic is one of the most dangerous places to drive in the world. This nation holds the debatable record of having one of the highest death per capita rates in the world, 29.3 per 100,000 inhabitants (based on 2013 World Health Organization Report). There are over 3,000 traffic-related deaths per year in this country and the count is only raising.
63% of those killed in the Dominican Republic were motorcyclists, and 20% are pedestrians.
The Dominican Republic is account for a significant percent of car accident related deaths for Americans.
Moto Taxis are a common way of transportation, many of the moto-taxis drivers are teens not older than 15 years old. You could frequently see them picking up two or even three passengers.
Kids sometimes even younger than ten years old can be seen driving, picking up friends or family on a single bike. It is very common to see teens starting up with a wheelie on a street crossing.
Based on Police records, over 50% of the Dominican Republic’s registered vehicles are motorbikes, around two million. There are an estimated number of 600,000 additional bikes that are on the roads without documents.
Ismael Vasquez is a taxi driver in Cabarete, a small village about 20 miles from the province capital Purto Plata. He says that his job is the riskiest on the island. Almost every day he is witness to an accident, many times with casualties; "The two cars you see here crashed into each other two days ago, people were seriously injured, while no one had died, the injuries are life threatening" said Ismael.
This amazing country is blessed with everything nature can offer, beautiful beaches, jungly mountains and amazing people. Tourists like myself are bubbled inside a protected resort, enjoying the beauty, just a few steps aways from a daily ongoing tragedy.
© Nadav Goshen