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BiggerTraffic fatalities continue to rise; the Dominican Republic registers an average of 2,000 deaths annually
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic — “In the period 2020-2024, the country recorded an annual average of 1,728 traffic accidents with fatalities at the scene,” explains the National Statistics Office (ONE) in a road safety infographic.
The total number of deaths grouped by the ONE reaches approximately 8,639 people, according to the yearbook of accidental and violent deaths.
Unlike the ONE data, the Central Electoral Board (JCE) states that from 2020 to 2024, 10,139 people have died in traffic accidents in the country.
The number of deaths has been increasing since 2022 to date, according to death certificates. In 2020, there were 1,638 deaths; in 2021, 1,846; in 2022, 2,079; in 2023, 2,204; and in 2024, some 2,372 deaths from traffic accidents.
So far in 2025, the JCE civil registry has recorded 2,096 deaths from traffic accidents.
Traffic accident in Puerto Plata. External Source
It is important to remember that these data are grouped with information provided by the General Directorate of Traffic and Land Transport Safety. If a person arrives at a hospital or clinic injured and dies from complications, their death is recorded as due to a cause other than a traffic accident.
The National Statistics Office points out that after motorcyclists, who account for 70.48% of traffic accident deaths, pedestrians have the highest number of fatalities, accounting for 13% of deaths.
ONE data shows that from 2017 to 2024, there were four peaks in traffic accident deaths. The first was in 2010 with 1,959 deaths, the second in 2016 with 1,804, 2019 with 1,876, and 2024 with 1,1961.
According to the Board, registrations in the traffic accident death registry reached 1,271 in 2010, 2,026 in 2016, 2,176 in 2019, and 2,372 deaths in 2024.
Number one in the whole world. Dominican republic. The most crazy. Driving like posesed lunatics.
Problem is the authorities are too weak-kneed to address the high death rates.
Today on my way to the airport, police stopped me, I was driving less than 90 kmh. A red Ferrari paases with exhorbitant speeed. Police did nothing
Laws without enforcement is a wasted exercise. The police do very little.
For a country with this level of difficulty in obtaining a license these rates are unbelievable. First, there is zero regard for traffic safety or laws, especially when it comes to those dangerous motor bikes running amuck, weaving in and out of traffic and ignoring every traffic control device. Second issue is the total lack of enforcement of moving violations. I have noticed that the national police have ramped up license, insurance and registration enforcement. That is a welcome sight for sure. Now if there were a way to start enforcing laws within cities. Wow.