2023-12-07 00:13:24
A strong mishap more on the Inter-American route, at kilometer 19, in the jurisdiction of Mixco, Guatemala. This hhas once again opened the debate about what dangerous is the roadand how the plans that have been drawn up so far have not come to fruition.
At least 17 vehicles They were involved in the multiple accident that occurred on the afternoon of Tuesday, December 5, at kilometer 19 of the Inter-American route, in Ciudad San Cristóbal, zone 8 of Mixco.
For Saúl Calderón, Saúl Calderón, from the Ibero-American Association of Road Education and Training Centers with headquarters in Madrid, Spain and Uruguay; and the National Road Safety Standards Committee, which coordinates the Guatemalan Standards Commission (Coguanor), there are two reasons that make this stretch of road dangerous.
The first: Because it has two lanes or more, it gives the drivers confidence to go faster. And the second: Because it has a prolonged inclination for several kilometers.
“This results in drivers becoming overconfident and if they do not know how to make proper use of the compression and/or engine brake, they will have to overheat the brake system and in these conditions there may be a breakdown that at the moment when they most notice it. If they need to, they will not be able to stop the march and catch up with the rows of slow or already stopped vehicles, as has happened,” explains Calderón.
The expert, then, proposes six urgent measures that must be carried out in the San Lucas, Sacatepéquez, and Mixco, Gutemala section, to prevent more road incidents from occurring such as those that have occurred between 2018 and 2023.
The expert recommends the following to improve road safety on the San Lucas-Mixco slope, on the Inter-American route, CA-1 Oeste.
Implement clear and visible signage, including specific instructions for heavy and public transportation units.
Conduct highway engineering evaluations to identify and address the most dangerous spots on the road and build emergency braking ramps.
Set appropriate speed limits and ensure the effective application of these regulations through speed radars.
Promote educational campaigns to raise awareness among drivers about the risks associated with the San Lucas-Mixco slope and the importance of following traffic rules.
Improve road maintenance, such as potholes or landslides, to reduce dangerous conditions. Consider specific measures, as exclusive lanes, for the transit of trucks or trailers.
According to Calderón, these are just some initial points to help reduce car accidents on this stretch of road.
“It could be beneficial to carry out a more detailed analysis in collaboration with traffic engineers and road accident experts,” suggests Calderón.
He adds that “it will also be important to analyze, not only the moment of the accident, but everything that preceded it.”
For example, he argues, “How many hours of work did the driver already have before the accident? How long ago was the vehicle last serviced? Or if the driver had reported some signs of vehicle failure in the last five days. Whether the company has any internal road safety regulations or not”
Another consideration that Calderón makes is “whether the driver of that heavy vehicle (the one that crashed on December 5) had been evaluated in a vehicle with such characteristics, when he obtained the license or not.”
All of this, says the specialist, is necessary if we consider that the three risk factors that cause road accidents are the human, the vehicle and the road and its environment.
Inter-American route accident: video captures the moments before the trailer rammed several vehicles in San Cristóbal
In recent years, the actions that state and municipal authorities have taken after road accidents occur on the San Lucas-Mixco stretch are these:
Force heavy transport (trailers and trucks), as well as extra-urban buses, to circulate only in the right lane and reduce speed. Restriction time for this type of transportation to circulate in Mixco would begin at 4 p.m. and not at 5 p.m. as it was previously. It would implement a control bay at kilometer 22 so that the PMT could stop collective units and heavy vehicles there to carry out a mechanical inspection of the vehicle. Braking ramp at kilometer 22.1, Inter-American route, which it would request from the Ministry of Communications.
Of these, only circulation in the right lane, with exceptions due to the lack of permanent surveillance, and the time restriction, have been complied with. The other two don’t.
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