After a higher-than-expected death toll during the Christmas holiday in Costa Rica, public safety officials are preparing for what they believe will be a busy New Year’s Eve celebration. Ten people lost their lives due to violent incidents on December 24^th and 25^th: Three were homicides, three suicides, one deadly fire, two drownings, and a fatal road traffic accident.

As reported by national newspaper La Nacion, the Christmas death toll in 2013 increased by three casualties over the previous year. The Ministry of Transportation and Public Works (Spanish acronym: MOPT) reports that road traffic fatalities are down by 43 victims on a year-over-year basis through the month of November; however, the incidence of road deaths is increasing as the year comes to an end. A worrisome trend in 2013 has been the increase in pedestrian deaths: 49 from January to November.

Drinking and Driving

As of December 11^th, Transit Police officers in Costa Rica had already conducted 73 checkpoints that targeted drunk drivers. Thus far in 2013, there have been 20 fatalities related to drinking and driving. A recent press release issued by MOPT explained that transit cops will be out in force during New Year’s Eve; they will be on the lookout for drunk drivers and speeders. In Costa Rica, speeding is a more deadly cause than driving under the influence (DUI); 76 people have lost their lives in speeding incidents thus far in 2013.

Experienced New Year’s Eve revelers in San Jose already know that some of the DUI checkpoints will take place near hot spots such as the Wyndham-Herradura, Club Venue and Rapsodia. Other possible DUI checkpoints may be set up in Manuel Antonio and Nightclub Space in Jaco Beach. New Year’s Eve celebrations in the beaches of Guanacaste tend to be a bit more low-key, but DUI checkpoints are usually set up on major highways.

Source: MOPT Press Release