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Recorded traffic deaths reach 253

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RESIDENTS of the  Omar sector, of Burunga, Arraijan who were awakened at 3.30 am on Saturday July 29 by the sound of a crashing vehicle tried but failed to rescue the driver trapped inside at the bottom of a gully.

When paramedics arrived  Alejandro Franco, 45, was dead.

He  is believed to have fallen asleep at the wheel. He was traffic fatality  number 253 so far this year with accidents running at a daily average of 125 with well over 1,000 needing hospital treatment.

Critical injuries
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On Sunday morning five young people were critically injured in a traffic accident in Santiago,  Veraguas.

They were traveling  to La Mata de Santiago when the driver lost control  while passing under a bridge.

TVN reports that the young people were apparently under the influence of, alcohol.

 

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/recorded-traffic-deaths-reach-253

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On 7/29/2017 at 3:14 PM, Roger B said:

I was the week of July 18 to July 23 in David, Chiriqui for business purposes and visiting some projects in the province with a very tight schedule.   I have to admit that from all the drivers in Panama the driver from David and Chiriqui in general are..... wow the worst.  I warned my wife to drive defensively all time.   It was amazing to see that they seems to be always in a hurry.  I can accept that from any driver in Panama City because of the extremely heavy traffic but from a driver in David it is unacceptable.  

Looks like the main problem is speeding.   Most of the worst accident ocurred because the driver was at very high speed and couldnt control his vehicle causing a terrible accident.  The second cause of accidents seems to be distraction while driving.  Technology is making idiot drivers.  People cant leave their smartphones and wanted to be texting and chatting while driving making them to distract and cause accidents.  

 

I sadly agree with your assessment of the drivers in David and Chiriqui.

IMO a sole person (driver) in a vehicle is at risk for an accident. My role is to be a "look-out" while Bud concentrates on steering the car around troubling situations.

It seems that speed, alcohol, and distractions (cell phone usage) are the main culprits.

Thankful one more time when we arrive home safely.

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Just curious, do the insurance companies raise the rates when these folks have been in an accident? Is there tracking with the transit authorities on folks driving records? Or does SERTACEN  keep track of it?  If one gets pulled over does the police officer have access to your motor vehicle record?   Seems to me, if that is the case,  with more police speed traps, driver education, and higher fines that might curb the increase in all these accidents.

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1 hour ago, Keith Woolford said:

Here's a download.

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Thanks Keith.  This IS an eye opener as this is in a rural neighborhood.  It's unfortunate that  the areas all around the overpass have become so active with traffic and now fairly dangerous.   The one way situation can be confusing.

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10 hours ago, Brundageba said:

Thanks Keith.  This IS an eye opener as this is in a rural neighborhood.  It's unfortunate that  the areas all around the overpass have become so active with traffic and now fairly dangerous.   The one way situation can be confusing.

This two vehicle incident is now under investigation by the Policia Nacional and the DIJ.

Two of the three occupants of the sedan fled the scene after the crash. The third who stayed back was taken in for questioning by detectives.

Fortunately there were no injuries.

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https://www.tvn-2.com/nacionales/inician-investigaciones-accidente-transito-Chiriqui_0_4815268457.html

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I'm honestly surprised that there is not more of this in David. People drive very fast--particularly on the one-way streets--and stop signs often are missing or obscured. Add to that the Panamanian habit of just pulling out and expecting the oncoming car to stop, and you have a recipe for disaster. I hate driving there and will go out of my way to avoid making a left turn across two lanes of traffic.

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Bloody Sunday lifts traffic death toll to 258

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THE TOTAL  number of traffic fatalities in Panama in the first seven months of the year climbed by five to 258  on  Sunday July,30.

Speeding was the main cause, but in one incident one death victim contributed to his own death by ignoring the  nearby overhead pedestrian walkway . The accidents were recorded in  two Colon locations, Buena Vista, and El Giral; in El Cedro, Los Santos, and  Alcalde Diaz and La Chorrera

 

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/bloody-sunday-lifts-traffic-death-toll-258

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When we first settled in here to live, we were driving into David in our new pickup.   There was an accident at Super Baru corner.   Ok so on the way out we decided to avoid that collision corner and went blocks away around it.  Problem was figuring out which street was the right way on the one-ways.  Bill was going slow...then spotted the turn . signaled and turned.  Two cops on a bike behind us plowed right into our rear quarter panel making an imprint of two cops and a bike in the rear of our new truck.   Ok after some conversation with the cop bike driver, ( who wanted to accuse Bill of some infraction when it was theirs for following too close) , anyway, the cop on the rear of the bike sez to the other cop:

"Jose, when are you gong to learn, you slammed into a Gringo like this just last week"

(we all laughed)...Ok so we agreed to shake hands.  Bill turned too fast without notice, and they followed too close.  Now we just park at Rey and take a cab into David...once again risking life and limb as the cab drivers are pretty dangerous themselves.

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10 minutes ago, Keith Woolford said:

On my first exploratory trip to Chiriqui, I was in David less than ten minutes when I went through an imaginary Stop sign near Hotel Toledo and got T-boned by a Taxi.

Easy to do.   Thank God you survived.  Those taxis get get some speed up on those side streets. 

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1 hour ago, Brundageba said:

When we first settled in here to live, we were driving into David in our new pickup.   There was an accident at Super Baru corner.   Ok so on the way out we decided to avoid that collision corner and went blocks away around it.  Problem was figuring out which street was the right way on the one-ways.  Bill was going slow...then spotted the turn . signaled and turned.  Two cops on a bike behind us plowed right into our rear quarter panel making an imprint of two cops and a bike in the rear of our new truck.   Ok after some conversation with the cop bike driver, ( who wanted to accuse Bill of some infraction when it was theirs for following too close) , anyway, the cop on the rear of the bike sez to the other cop:

"Jose, when are you gong to learn, you slammed into a Gringo like this just last week"

(we all laughed)...Ok so we agreed to shake hands.  Bill turned too fast without notice, and they followed too close.  Now we just park at Rey and take a cab into David...once again risking life and limb as the cab drivers are pretty dangerous themselves.

Have to travel to David on business in the near future. So, double checking our dash-cam is working for recording pictures in front and to rear of our vehicle.

Our rule is to restrain/limit TALKING while driving on streets in David. Safety first.

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Expat arrested after hit-and-run

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The accident scne

A 52 -year- old expat driving a pickup was arrested on Sunday night, July 30  after he drove on  after hitting Feliciano Lorenzo Perez, 48,  on the Inter-American highway near the Pío Pío restaurant in Anton, Cocle.

The victim was crossing the road with his dog,  when he was  hit  by the pickup and was then run over by a following bus.

Witnesses alerted police and the suspect, a Frenchman, was picked up driving in Farallón, in  Rio Hato.

He has been detained and investigations are underway.

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http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/expat-arrested-hit-run

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In my opinion, more attention is required to be paid to 'moving' violations.

Over 700,000 Transit Violations in First Seven Months of 2017

Between 1 January and 31 July 2017 703.242 violations have been recorded, the transit authority (ATTT) reported Thursday.

Toll Fees:  In the first place with 305.851 faults is the lack of sufficient balance on Corredor Passes which allow travel on toll highways and corridors. Corresponds to the infringement No.71, according to the Department of Minor Infractions of the ATTT.

Parking: Followed by this, the most common infraction is No.64 or by vehicle parked wrong with 62.294 offenses. On the other hand, the inspectors of the ATTT and agents of the National Transit

NO Stopping Zone:  Oerations of the National Police detected 62.141 drivers who were punished for neglecting the lines of "Don't stop", pedestrian and indications of inspectors through the infringement No. 69.

Speeding:  38.132 other drivers were caught exceeding the speed limits

Obstructing Traffic: 23.283 were sanctioned for driving obstructing traffic

No License:  15.112 were punished for not carrying a license.

Careless Driving: The ATTT explained that imposed a total of 14.228 offenses for driving in a haphazard manner;

Cel Phone Use:  13.905 talking on the phone

Prohibited Turns :   13.641 and by making turns prohibited.

Among other infractions described by the ATTT are

U-Turns and Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road:  12.067 by driving on contrary or turn in the form of "U" on the track,

No Insurance:  while other 9.017 were punished by not having liability insurance in force.

Drunk Driving:   A total of 4.162 drivers were caught in a drunken state, 

Alcohol on Breath:    2.607 for driving with breath alcohol and

Pirate Public Transport:  2.079 to provide the service of public transport vehicle is not authorized.

Info from Telemetro   http://www.telemetro.com/nacionales/ATTT-registra-infracciones-primeros-meses_0_1050495742.html

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Cocle traffic death brings year’s total to 260

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A 52-YEAR-OLD  woman was killed and two men hospitalized when a truck carrying animal livestock plunged from a bridge in  Rio Grande, Penonomé on Wednesday afternoon, August 2.

Angelina Valdez Gil, died instantly. Two young men were transferred to regional hospitals with serious injuries. Most of the livestock was unscathed.

There have been 40 deaths from traffic accidents in Cocle province so far this year. The national total is 260, averaging over one life lost each day.

 

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/cocle-traffic-death-brings-years-total-260

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I had no idea there is a law against obstructing traffic. Surely it is the most ignored and least enforced. Everywhere there are drivers parked in thru lanes and drivers stopped in the middle of the road to visit with friends. The infraction of incorrect parking runs a close second. I've never seen any evidence of these two laws being enforced--at least in Boquete. My guess is that historically Boquete has been so small that it was easy to go around a stopped car and easy to ignore bad parking because there was plenty of parking space. That's no longer the case. The enforcement of the laws hasn't kept up with the times.

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Traffic death toll hits 263

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A PEDESTRIAN who decided to ignore a walkover bridge and take the easy route across a highway and a speeding pickup truck raised the highway traffic death total in Panama so far this year to  263.

The first incident was on the Pan-America highway in Loma Bonita in the Arraijan district on Saturday, August 5 when an unidentified man was struck by a sedan at  9 p.m.

The other death  occurred on Monday, in the Tierras Altas district of  Chiriquí, when a young man, of  about 19 years, drove his pickup into a truck and died at the scene.

Panama’s road carnage is  en route to surpassing last year’s total.

 

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/traffic-death-toll-hits-263

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