Christmas death toll lower this year

Santo Domingo.- The Center for Emergency Operations (COE) says that duringthe “Christmas Operational Plan for Common Unity 2012” a total of 216 peoplewere reported as affected, of whom 17 were killed in road accidents, includeone minor.

The COE bulletin informs that 133 were affected by accidents, 59 byalcohol poisoning and seven by food poisoning.

Eight of the alcohol poisoning victims were minors, aged between 12 and17, from the provinces of María Trinidad Sánchez, Azua, San Cristóbal, SantoDomingo and three from Barahona.

COE director Juan Manuel Méndez said that there had been a reduction of23% in the number of accidents involving motorcycles, but said that the finalbulletin would show whether the decrease had been significant. 60 of the 118accidents recorded involved motorcyclists. Two of the deaths in road accidentswere run down, and eight were on motorbikes.

The provinces with the largest number of cases were Santo Domingo, NationalDistrict, San Cristóbal, Santiago, San José de Ocoa, San Pedro de Macorís andMaría Trinidad Sánchez.

During the first phase of the operation AMET has impounded 303 vehiclesof which 155 are motorbikes, 147 heavy goods vehicles and one lightvehicle.

The president of the National Commission for Emergencies, retiredGeneral Luis Antonio Luna Paulino said that so far the population haddisplayed restrained and sensible behavior during the first phase of thecampaign.

However, he said that the most worrying period for the authorities wasthe New Year celebration.

“Things are going well, especially in the urban area, which is the mostworrying, but the most worrying day is New Year’s Day,” he said. He remindedthat vehicle flow increases on that date.