Ecuador’s traffic fatality rate drops sharply

Venezuela ranks first in the number of car accident fatalities among
Latin American countries while Ecuador ranks sixth, according to a new study by the University of
Michigan.

The study shows that Venezuela has 35 fatalities from road crashes per 100,000 population, followed by the Dominican Republic (32), El Salvador
(29), Brazil (22), Paraguay (20), Ecuador (19), Costa Rica (18),
Colombia (17), Panama (16), and Bolivia (14).

Ecuador’s sixth place ranking in Latin America is dramatic improvement
from its second place ranking in a similar survey in 2007. Traffic deaths per 100,000 in 2007 were 33.

Internationally, Namibia ranked number one in traffic deaths with 45 per 100,000 people. The U.S., by contrast, had 11 fatalities per 100,000 in 2013.

The study also evaluated fatalities from road crashes as a percentage of
all causes of death and found that Venezuela led Latin America with
7.3%, followed by Dominican Republic 4.9%, Paraguay 4.5%, El Salvador
4.1%, Costa Rica 4.1%, Ecuador 3.7%, Colombia 3.7%, Brazil 3.5%, Panama
3.4%, and Bolivia 2.1%.

The study was conducted by the Transportation Research Institute at the
University of Michigan and based their findings on data provided by the
World Health Organization.

Photo caption: Car crash in a Quito neighborhood.