San Pedro Town Council Strengthens Traffic Safety Measures Following Rise in Accidents

San Pedro Town Council officials outlined several measures to improve road safety following a recent increase in traffic accidents across the island. In an exclusive interview on July 30th, Traffic Department Supervisor Glevy Medina detailed the initiatives, which include stricter vehicle inspections, new motorcycle helmet standards, expanded police checkpoints, and the installation of speed bumps on newly paved roads.
Medina said the Traffic Department had begun conducting stricter inspections of golf carts, adjusting speed settings when necessary and requiring owners to modify vehicles that exceeded established safety limits. New helmet standards for motorcycle riders are also being introduced. Medina explained that the redesigned helmets offer greater protection and will become mandatory once the regulations are officially gazetted and the helmets receive the required safety certification. In the meantime, all traffic officers have been using the new helmets while educating riders on proper helmet fit and encouraging voluntary use of the full-coverage design.
The department has also increased coordinated checkpoints with the San Pedro Police Department to curb driving under the influence. Medina reported that officers are now pursuing court action against DUI offenders while enforcing statutory penalties, including a one-month driver’s license suspension for first-time offenders and progressively harsher sanctions for repeat violations. Weekend patrols have also expanded northward to areas such as Secret Beach, where officers said underage driving and late-night drinking have become recurring concerns.
According to Medina, the island’s rapid growth and changing traffic patterns have contributed to many of the recent safety issues. He noted that new roads and residential developments north of town, combined with congestion around schools and ports of entry, have increased traffic pressure. Taxi operators stopping in the middle of roadways, along with disputes between taxi drivers and golf cart operators, have further disrupted traffic flow and created additional safety hazards. To address these issues, the Town Council plans to install speed bumps along newly developed roads and meet with taxi association leaders to establish clearer passenger pick-up and drop-off protocols.
“Most of what we’re seeing comes back to drinking and driving and unsecured helmets,” Medina said. “If people stop drinking and driving and clip their helmets, a lot of these incidents would be prevented.”
SPTC expects that the combined measures will help reduce accidents and improve traffic flow. Officials added that the success of these initiatives will depend largely on continued public compliance with traffic laws and cooperation from the island’s taxi associations.