Statistics released by the Roadway Safety Council (COSEVI) showed that highway deaths in Costa Rica are up from the same period in 2011.
The number of deaths on the road totaled 177 in the first six months of 2012, 13 more than the previous year. The majority of the deaths were motorcyclists (50), followed by pedestrians hit by vehicles (38) and cyclists (18).
Motorcycle deaths have been in the news frequently this year, and according to COSEVI, the number of deaths resulting from motorcycle accidents increased by eight in 2012. A press release by COSEVI implored bikers to wear a helmet, “even when traveling 200 meters to the bakery.”
The release noted pedestrian deaths included instances of people walking through the streets drunk and being struck by cars. Other statistics showed that 46 of the highway deaths were due to speeding, while 20 more were a result of drunk driving.
