Thinking of renting a scooter or motoconcho ride on your next Dominican Republic trip? A stark new figure is worth knowing before you hop on two wheels.
Rafael Tejeda Baldera, spokesperson for the country's traffic safety authority Digesett, said this weekend that motorcyclists make up between 70% and 80% of all traffic fatalities in the Dominican Republic. He was speaking at a seminar on road deaths organised by the National Central of Unified Transporters (CNTU) in Santo Domingo.
The colonel broke down the causes of accidents into three factors: the driver, the vehicle and the road. By far the biggest is the human one — he put 96% of accident responsibility on drivers, pointing to fatigue, stress and drowsiness, plus distractions like mobile phones, speeding, reckless manoeuvres, and driving after alcohol, certain medications or drugs.
Vehicles came second. Poor maintenance and a lack of routine inspection are ongoing problems, he said, urging drivers to check tyres, lights, windshields and fluid levels themselves rather than waiting for authorities to mandate an inspection. Roads round out the list: bad lighting, worn asphalt and weather such as rain and fog all raise the risk.
Beyond the human toll, Tejeda Baldera noted that crashes burden the state financially and strain the public health system. His broader point was cultural: for too long, he argued, Dominicans have treated traffic and road safety as somebody else's problem — and until that changes, behaviour won't.
For visitors, the takeaway is practical rather than alarmist. Motorbikes are everywhere in the Dominican Republic, used for everything from daily commutes to cheap taxi rides, and they sit at the centre of the country's road safety problem. If you rent a scooter, wear a helmet, ride sober, avoid night rides on unlit roads, and be alert to local riders making unpredictable moves. If you're sticking to cars, choose a reputable rental company with well-maintained vehicles and check the tyres and lights before you drive off. Coastal highways are generally fine in daylight; mountain roads after rain are a different proposition.
