Why you should think twice before driving in Cuba

[El Presidente]

Cuba Suffers Highway Horror Despite Few Cars

 

 December 18, 2018

By Cafe Fuerte

Photo from the accident that took place in Mayari last Wednesday, published by journalist Emilio Rodriguez Pupo on Facebook.

HAVANA TIMES – Cuba may have a very low number of vehicles per capita in comparison to other countries but the number of accidents, even on roads with little traffic, is alarming.

In another tragic event, three people died and 35 were injured in an accident that took place in the early hours of Wednesday, in a rural area of Mayari, in Holguin province.

The accident occurred at around 5:30 AM, at a place known as Los Amarillos, just a few kilometers away from the gateway into Mayari. According to reports from Radio Mayari and other provincial media, a Havana-Mayari bus flipped over when it ran off the highway as the driver was trying to avoid a cyclist.

Police forces and a rescue team from a building company managed to move the bus towards the road and take out two bodies trapped inside when it flipped over.

Three fatalities at the scene

The three fatalities were Diosmaris Mosqueda Castillo, 48, Eulalia Sanchez Herrera, 52 and Angel Merencio Rondon, according to a report by journalist Emilio Rodriguez Pupo. All of the 35 injured were in a stable condition, medical sources confirmed.

This is the second mass-casualty accident that has taken place in the Eastern region of the Island in less than 48 hours. On Tuesday, another bus fell off a bridge in Las Tunas, with 16 people injured.

Cuban traffic accident statistics were alarming in 2017 and with this year drawing to an end, they may be even greater this year, according to traffic accident reports in recent months.

Bloodchilling Statistics

Mass-casualty accidents suffered an increase in the second half of the year, a result of a number of factors including the poor state of Cuban roads, lack of road signs, driving over the speed limit, vehicles being driven with more passengers than allowed and bus drivers not complying with obligatory rests after long journeys.

Cuba recorded a traffic accident every 47 minutes in 2017, with one fatality on the average every 12 hours and a rate of 6.6% of deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the National Road Safety Commission.

Traffic accidents are the fifth leading cause of death in Cuba and alarm bells have been ringing since the end of the first quarter in 2018.

According to official reports, there have been 67,792 accidents since 2012 up until the end of the first trimester in 2018, with 50,170 injured and 4,446 deaths, 265 of whom were children and 779 young people aged between 15-29.

[Derboesekoenig]

Before visiting Cuba for the first time earlier this year, everyone always talked about all the cool old cars there. The reality is that they are rotting death traps. They make them look good for the pictures, but most of them are pieced together with anything and everything that the people can find. Some had 4 cylinder engines retrofitted from god knows what and sounded absolutely horrible. Whenever I had to go a decent distance, I looked for a newer taxi. Wouldn't feel comfortable going long distance in something that they have been retrofitting with random parts for the last 50 or so odd years.

[Ethernut]

  On 12/18/2018 at 10:43 PM, Derboesekoenig said:

 Some had 4 cylinder engines retrofitted from god knows what and sounded absolutely horrible. 

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True, most of those are diesel engines that have had every emissions and automated mechanism stripped from it so it'd run.

[Ethernut]

I would never ever rent a car in Cuba...

 

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/americas-cuba/cuba/being-involved-in-a-car-accident-can-be-a-scary-ordeal

 

 

[OZCUBAN]

There you go common thread here bloody cyclist they act like own the road nowadays have more rights than car drivers ....and yet pay NO road tax ?

[ChanceSchmerr]

  On 12/18/2018 at 10:43 PM, Derboesekoenig said:

Before visiting Cuba for the first time earlier this year, everyone always talked about all the cool old cars there. The reality is that they are rotting death traps. They make them look good for the pictures, but most of them are pieced together with anything and everything that the people can find. Some had 4 cylinder engines retrofitted from god knows what and sounded absolutely horrible. Whenever I had to go a decent distance, I looked for a newer taxi. Wouldn't feel comfortable going long distance in something that they have been retrofitting with random parts for the last 50 or so odd years.

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I think the problem here is more about poor driving habits and unsafe drivers...I dont think you have many cars that are about to cannibalize themselves on the road. Cuban drivers may not be the safest on the road but I'm sure none is going to drive around in a car where the wheels are about the fall off. I saw many rundown cars at Havanathon in 2016 but none that looked tacitly unsafe.....just old.

[Derboesekoenig]

  On 12/19/2018 at 12:48 AM, ChanceSchmerr said:

I think the problem here is more about poor driving habits and unsafe drivers...I dont think you have many cars that are about to cannibalize themselves on the road. Cuban drivers may not be the safest on the road but I'm sure none is going to drive around in a car where the wheels are about the fall off. I saw many rundown cars at Havanathon in 2016 but none that looked tacitly unsafe.....just old.

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I was riding in one where I could see through the floor of it to the road. Was super sketchy. Didn't realize until I looked down

[Fuzz]

  On 12/19/2018 at 12:56 AM, Derboesekoenig said:

I was riding in one where I could see through the floor of it to the road. Was super sketchy. Didn't realize until I looked down

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It's called air conditioning.

[helix]

No respect for pedestrians , taxis I have been in have come close to hitting people at night in Havana not giving any quarter . Seems to be okay/sport since cars have the right of way .  

Do not drive or rent a car for a Cuban to drive ,use official taxis much as you can .

[WABOOM]

Was it a '48 Club Coupe "bondo wagon" with a Russian diesel motor?

[El Presidente]

  On 12/18/2018 at 11:33 PM, Ethernut said:

True, most of those are diesel engines that have had every emissions and automated mechanism stripped from it so it'd run.

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Like Volkswagen? 

[Ethernut]

  On 12/19/2018 at 3:05 AM, El Presidente said:

Like Volkswagen? 

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...or Lada ;)

[Habana Mike]

I'd never drive in Cuba, I fear for my life when being driven! 

Said before I'll never drive in Manhattan, the UK, Rome, Mumbai and other crazy places. Have done so in most except India as they drive by faith and I don't have enough of that!

Even then, Cuba is still a no go for me. Do not want to be incarcerated there.....

[ElJavi76]

So my cousin works down in Port Elizabeth in NJ. There are dozens of Cubans that work there. One of his co-workers, from Holguín if I'm not mistaken... Goes and rents a car. The guy goes to Cuba for two weeks and rents a car. Goes out one night and ties one on. Driving back to his hotel that night hits a pedestrian and kills the guy. I can't say I know the intimate details, but drunk driving is drunk driving in any country... He's now serving 3 years in a Cuban jail for his involuntary manslaughter. 

Paying a driver who knows the place like the back of his hand and is generally helpful in every way trumps risking this stupidity. There's absolutely no reason any of this should've happened. True shame!

[NSXCIGAR]

  On 12/18/2018 at 10:37 PM, mtapia3 said:

I’m sure all those old cars rolling around with the same technology and safety standards from the 50s has something to do with the high fatality rate. 

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They're probably worse than if they were just 50s standards. The Bondo, frame welds and stripped-out interiors make these cars death traps. The brakes are likely barely maintained and tires are horrible. Seat belts are a luxury item. If you hit something at 40 mph these things will crumple like tin foil. 

When the safest cars on the road are 1972 Ladas that should tell you something. 

[BellevilleMXZ]

When we went to Cuba last nov. we hired a car and guide to take us to Havana from Varadero. Its was a 50s ford, with of course a transplanted diesel of some sort. Looked decent on outside, but it was scary. Thankfully had seat belts, and we kept them tight!!?As we were flying down the road at 70+mph, wife and I looked and each other and said," it feels like we are in a Tarantino movie!" The back windows didn't roll down, a/c was broke, inside all strangely decorated , was quite a trip. Wife said a few times, "WTF have you got me into"?