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BiggerDominican roads: a catastrophe on two wheels
Santiago, DR.- A grim tally of recent motorcycle accidents has cast a long shadow over the Dominican provinces of La Altagracia and Santiago, transforming routine commutes and dangerous leisure activities into fatal events. Over the latter half of 2025, these regions have seen a disturbing surge in collisions involving motorcycles, leaving a trail of the deceased and critically injured. The sheer volume and brutality of the crashes highlight a profound crisis in road safety, where the essential utility of the motor-scooter is constantly overshadowed by the extreme risk taken by riders.
The human cost of this crisis is palpable in the details of the latest incidents, with the majority of these motorcycle-on-motorcycle and single-vehicle accidents being directly attributable to reckless driving, the pervasive, dangerous practice of illegal street racing, and a blatant disregard for basic safety protocols.
As reported by Diario Libre, just this November 3, a late-night collision between two motorcycles in La Otra Banda (La Altagracia) claimed the life of Felipe José Wade Salas and left 21-year-old Jhon Manuel Jiménez hospitalized with lacerations and mild head trauma. Previously, the tourist hub of Higüey was rocked by the June 27 death of 50-year-old Eduardo Antonio Lorenzo de los Santos, who was riding without a helmet when his Suzuki AX100 was hit by another bike whose driver fled the scene.
The problem, however, is not confined to isolated accidents; it is fueled by a dangerous culture, particularly the proliferation of illegal street racing. Santiago has seen its own share of heartbreak stemming from these reckless competitions. In October, 16-year-old José David Montilla died when his race-speed motorcycle collided with a guardrail on the Joaquín Balaguer highway. His death echoes the May tragedy in Navarrete where two young men, Luis Ángel Rodríguez Ramírez (24) and Joandri Francisco (16), were killed during yet another clandestine street race.
The severity of the situation is perhaps best quantified by official figures. The head of the traffic safety authority (Digesett) previously reported that La Altagracia, specifically Higüey, ranked first nationally for traffic fatalities in 2024. Shockingly, 3,144 people died in the province that year, averaging eight deaths per day, with the majority linked to un-helmeted motorcyclists. These alarming numbers confirm that the negligence of personal safety gear, coupled with high-risk driving and illicit racing, is the chief catalyst for this unending spate of deaths.
As authorities continue to investigate the circumstances of these harrowing events, the urgent need for reinforced traffic controls, stricter enforcement against illegal racing, and a national commitment to helmet use has never been clearer. For the communities in La Altagracia and Santiago, the cost of inaction is simply too high.
AT least 50% of motorcycles in Bavaro Higuey Punta Cana are ridden illegally – drivers without correct documentation, and motorcycles without number plates. If Digesett actually removed and crushed these illegal bikes the roads would be a lot safer. Lack of enforcement of current regulation is the main issue
It the government took a strong hand against traffic violations there would be no chaos. Any moving violation should require a heavy penalty, a fine to include jail time. Motos should be impounded for a month at minimum. Then, not released until up to safety standard, documented, insured, owner licensed, and with helmet. After one month no owner response, auction it or destroy it., Period! However, government does not have the gonads to do it.
Sure, it’s easy to blame the Government or the police for failing to do enough, but there is an expression, “You can’t fix stupid”, that describes recurring, predictable patterns of poor judgment or resistance to change that also applies here. There are regulations about wearing a helmet, having a license to drive, that should have involved some training, and requirements for maintaining a machine in a roadworthy condition.
True, if the police stopped every motorcyclist not wearing a helmet and checked documentation, I suspect 90% would be seized, but the ultimate responsibility lies with the individual, not only to comply with the law but to take basic safety measures to protect their own life as well as others.
Education might help, but unfortunately, there appears to be a general attitude that rules/laws don’t apply to me. I should be able to do what I want, and when that results in an accident, and that person dies as a result, regrettable as it is, it is no one’s fault but their own.
Please…please…please increase enforcement on these illegal and dangerous bikes. It’s not just the improper bikes themselves with no registrations or insurance or operator license. It’s the normality of the reckless driving in and out of city areas. This is the most dangerous component of the illegal vehicles and operators. There is absolutely no regard for safety or traffic laws which poses a grave threat to vehicle traffic. A massive crackdown would be in order with confiscation of these bikes which could then be sold at auction to help fund enforcement.