Traffic accidents were the main cause of death in 2021, according to ONE

Cases of violent and accidental deaths are the ones that generally occupy the headlines of newspapers and newscasts in the Dominican Republic. These are the ones of most significant concern for local authorities.

Thus, the National Statistics Office (ONE) periodically receives data from the administrative records of accidental and violent deaths in the country, which are registered by the National Police and the General Directorate of Traffic Safety and Land Transportation (DIGESETT), from which the essential variables are extracted and consolidated in databases annually.

From this data, ONE prepares the Yearbook of Accidental and Violent Deaths. The analysis of these deaths that occurred in the past year 2021 showed that traffic accidents were the number one cause of death in the country, with a total of 1,874, representing 42.7 percent of the cases. Of these, 1,647 were men, and 211 were women.

This is followed by homicides, with 1,349, for 30 percent; with 1,205 men who were killed and 144 women.

As for suicides, 670 were recorded, for 15.3%, divided between 581 men and 89 women.

In 2021, there were 319 drownings, for 7.3%, of which 271 were males and 48 females.

Also, 179 electrocutions were recorded, representing 4.1 percent, involving 160 males and 19 females.

NATIONAL
In 2021, Dominican Republic registered 4,391 accidental and violent deaths
Registration by provinces

Traffic Accidents (the leading cause of death in 2021)

According to the data provided by the ONE, in the same year in the metropolitan region, there were 1,120 deaths due to traffic accidents. The National District (321) and Santo Domingo (799).

In Cibao Norte, 725 deaths were registered for this cause: in Espaillat, 117 deaths; in Puerto Plata, 160; and in Santiago, 448.

In Cibao Sur, 390 people died as a result of traffic accidents: La Vega (215), Sanchez Ramirez (64), and Monseñor Nouel (111).

In the Northeast Cibao 324 people lost their lives: Duarte (143), María Trinidad Sánchez (85), Hermanas Mirabal (42), and Samaná (54).

The analysis showed that in Northwest Cibao, 256 people perished from the same cause: Dajabón (45), Montecristi (94), Santiago Rodríguez (36), and Valverde (81).

In the Valdesia region there were 536 deaths: Azua (118), Peravia (112), San Cristobal (267) and San Jose de Ocoa (39).

Despite these statistics, homicides exceeded the number of traffic accidents in the metropolitan region, with 497: Distrito Nacional (148) and Santo Domingo (349).

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