Dominican Republic and UN Join Forces to Reduce Road Deaths

The Dominican Republic has launched a coordinated national effort to combat its road safety crisis, joining with the United Nations and international partners to implement the Plan Estratégico Nacional de Seguridad Vial (PENSV) 2025-2030, aiming to halve road deaths by 2030 Source: Diario Libre.

The crisis

Road crashes are a leading cause of death in the country, claiming 2,996 lives in 2025, with motorcyclists accounting for 65% of fatalities Source: Diario Libre. In the first half of 2026, deaths fell to 1,062, a 64.5% reduction compared to the same period in 2025 Source: Diario Libre. However, as of July 2026, more than 1,100 people had died and over 30,800 were injured, costing the economy an estimated 2.2% of GDP Source: Diario Libre.

Measures underway

Key initiatives include:

• Helmet certification: A norm now bans import of non-certified helmets; authorities push for two helmets per motorcycle sale Source: El Día.
• Speed reduction: Installation of speed tables on Santo Domingo's Malecón Source: El Día.
• School safety: 287 school zones to be improved; 30,000 students evaluated in road education .