Panama drivers lack basic knowledge of traffic regulations, or just ignore them

From the Sidelines

It won’t come as a surprise to motorists who try daily to cope with the bad drivers that fill the streets of Panama, but the Transit Authority (ATTT) says that many drivers lack basic knowledge of traffic regulations.

ATTT director Jorge Ricardo Fabrega, says that a leading cause of accidents is that " people do not know the signs" and Lack  basic knowledge of Panama's traffic regulations.

Most of us can testify to that. Expecting the cars on either side of you to give a signal when they decide to change lanes and cut in, is like looking out for the star over Bethlehem in the middle of a Panama daytime downpour.

In the past six years, Panama has listed 416 traffic-related deaths each year and with more vehicles pouring onto the roads at around 4,000 a month, month the problem isgoing to get worse. Currently, there are 630.000 registered, vehicles on the roads, with many in a bad state of repair, lacking service on everything from lights to brakes. Indicator lights don’t count, as most drivers don’t seem to know where the switch is or what it’s for.

As for not knowing or reading signs, I can give personal testimony to people zooming the wrong way down one way streets, having been hit by one on my own street. He fled the scene, and although I had his license plate number, and found his address, after three fruitless months of trying to get judicial action, including twice attending court and waiting over an hour, for a no show individual, I finally paid my repair bill and filed the memory  of the incident in my bad days folder

Panama has joined the "Decade of Action for Road Safety, 2011-2020," an initiative of the World Health Organization.

The program to establish programs aimed at reducing traffic-related fatalities and injuries.

Fabrega plans to launch a campaign to help motorist better understand the country's road signs and regulations.

He might start with getting his police to  enforce regulations. The trellice of yellow lines on intersections, meaning you can’t move on to them unless the exit is clear, have become parking lots, and turning against red signals is a way of life for many drivers.

But ATTT police stand on the corners chatting.

Speed kills. A crash at 40 kms may mean a garage job. At 80 it can mean deaths. The police need their radar guns on the Cinta Costera and the flyovers at both ends. Hefty fines could help Mayor Bosco cancel tax increases AND fix the sidewalks.

 A part of the campaign, the Ministry of Education has signed an agreement " with the ATTT to train young drivers.  And when the the newly trained drivers hit the road they will  soon follow the driving habits of their elders, including police and other government drivers, iand those that chauffeur the country's leaders.

Maybe they should first  start training the police to do their duty and learn how to give tickets for flagrant violations.

 David Ramirez, of the October 23 Movement says  traffic accidents are "everybody's problem." Hear hear.