The multiple traffic accident that happened last Saturday on the road to Guayllabamba, north of Quito, affected not only the community of the capital, but also the country because of the horror scenes with deaths, injuries and more than 20 destroyed vehicles.

The night before, another accident on the Perimeter Highway, considered one of the seven roads with the highest accident rate in the province of Guayas, also caused commotion. The container trailer crushed four vehicles. There were injuries. Yesterday, the roads continued to be plagued with accidents. The statistics are worrying: from January to April 2023, 6,547 traffic accidents; 736 were killed on the spot, and 5,891 were injured.

Unfortunately, with these figures, Ecuador remains on the list of South American countries that have a high level of traffic accidents with a large number of deaths as a result of these accidents.

Careless driving is still the leading cause of death in our country and exceeds the causes of speeding, disobeying traffic laws and drunk driving.

A weekend tragedy on the road to Guayllabamba, involving a truck carrying soft drinks, was likely caused by faulty brakes. What do the authorities in charge of controlling and approving the mechanical conditions of the vehicle do so that it can circulate in safe conditions? Greater controls and more radical measures are urgently needed for those who dare to drive a vehicle in bad condition, without an inspection or avoid it.

There is an urgent need to raise the awareness of citizens behind the wheel with respect to traffic signs and to improve the behavior of all mobility actors for safer driving. In addition to a cooperative and attentive citizenry that lends its hand so that in cases such as the Guayllabamba and Perimetral roads, lives can be saved. (OR)