Every 3 hours someone dies in Peruvian traffic.
Peru has the most automobile related accidents in all of South America. Every 3 hours someone dies, and every 18 minutes an accident occurs. The numbers do not only reflect accidents occuring in Lima, but it also incorporates numbers state wide.I am not surprised by this. Having lived in Peru and frequently going back home, this number is very likely. The traffic is so horrible that I am scared to drive in streets of Lima. I can only go to E. Wong in La Aurora .. and that is asking too much from me. To paint a picture, just imagine driving on a two lane street that is made into a five lane street, with buses cutting you off, pedestrians walking in front of 
you (as if they were asking to get hit), combis brushing past you in a hurry to get people, small ticos (see picture) crossing at an intersection knowing that you car is about 10 feet away...and with having Taxis all around you in a craze to get customers... This is what I encountered when driving through the ever-so-congested 'Ovalo de Higuereta'.
"Nunca mas!!", I said.
you (as if they were asking to get hit), combis brushing past you in a hurry to get people, small ticos (see picture) crossing at an intersection knowing that you car is about 10 feet away...and with having Taxis all around you in a craze to get customers... This is what I encountered when driving through the ever-so-congested 'Ovalo de Higuereta'."Nunca mas!!", I said.
Well that is what traffic in Peru is all about. I think one needs a different sort of license there. Sometimes it is not only the driver's fault, the pedestrian is also to blame. People just cross the street without looking both ways.
Even my grandma seldomly does this during a trip to Plaza Vea.
One time she said:
"They'll stop for me.. they see that I am old lady.. just walk slow and they will see you"
....yeah right!
We are lucky that we live in an suburban area, otherwise I would not let her leave the house.
My grandma is the least of the problems. The biggest problem in pedestrian control is in the Carretera Panamericana Sur/Norte (Panamerican Highway) where people actually cross the highway even though a pedestrian overpass is located 50 feet away from them. Everytime we have gone to the beach, I see people running across a highway. The worst case scenario was when a mother was holding her child's hand while crossing....Well, people do this!I hope that with the newly elected government such traffic related issues can be addressed. This is not solely a problem that deals with accidents, but also a problem with putting a strict hand in the law, promoting self-awareness and placing more regulation in the transpotation system of Peru. This is a diffuclt feat, but there must be a way to control or at least reduce the number of accidents and casualties occuring in the streets of Lima.
* Article in Spanish located here
posted by Maria @ 9:08 PM
2 Comments:
the traffic truly sucks.
Here's interesting article about the "combi culture" in English
Living In Peru
I've never driven in Lima, nor do I think I could, despite having cut my driving teeth on the freeways of Southern California. In fact, even in a taxi, speeding down the zanjón, I sometimes have to momentarily close my eyes, because I don't want to see what is going to happen next. About people crossing the Panamericana, it's true I've seen it with my own eyes, señoras pulling four kids across six lanes of speeding traffic. I asked someone about this and they explained that sometimes those pedestrian overpasses are havens for local hoods (especially in some districts like San Martin) who wait until you are on top of the bridge to mug you. So, I guess you are damned if you do, and damned if you don't.
Nice blog, just found it, will be stopping by more frequently.
Saludos!
Gato
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Peru Food
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