Traffic fines

A total of 294 people died in road accidents, up from the 253 traffic deaths recorded during the same period of 2014, according to the Traffic Police.

Traffic Police reported that 19 people died in drunk driving accidents from January through August, a 46 percent increase over the same time period last year.

Lawmakers revived the bill to replace prison time with monetary fines for blocking roads the day before private chauffeurs or "porteadores" protested a new special taxi regulation by blocking public roads across the country, snarling traffic.

For the duration of the two-week vacation period, Traffic Police will maintain 15 roadway checkpoints throughout the country and will designate a total of 744 officers, 152 police cars and 217 motorcycles for surveillance efforts.

Article 147 of the country’s Traffic Law stipulates fines of ₡21,963 ($40) for pedestrians walking on roads or jaywalking.

The Traffic Administration is currently in the process of buying more sound level meters. Currently traffic police only have 23 of these devices for all seven provinces, but the administration hopes to at least double that number.

More than 700 traffic cops will be spread out across the country during the holiday week, mostly around popular tourist destinations.

The highest traffic fine – Class A – will increase from ₡293,000 ($553) to ₡306,000 ($578), the Public Works and Transport Ministry's Traffic Department reported. Class A fines include driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with an expired license.

A total of 386 checkpoints throughout the country are part of a Traffic Police effort to prevent accidents before and during the holidays. Traffic Police Director Mario Calderón said that operations would begin this week and target the busiest roads in the Central Valley, where traffic jams usually occur while people are out doing holiday shopping.

The Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court, or Sala IV, this week ruled unconstitutional several articles of Costa Rica's Traffic Law that obligate motorists to register an email address in order to receive notifications of fines and other information from the Roadway Safety Council.