Classroom Costa Rica

If you had a minor crisis on your hands, you would fix it, or at least try to, wouldn’t you? I certainly would, but I don’t think Costa Rica decided to attempt a fix. Why? Because maybe they can’t.

What is this minor crisis? Roads and cars and trucks and everything to do with them. According to the CIA webpage, Costa Rica has one of the highest vehicle accident rates in the world, and is the country with the highest vehicle accident mortality rate in the world. The rate is about twenty-four deaths for every 10,000 miles driven. That may seem relatively low, except the US has about eight deaths for every 10,000 miles driven. That means Costa Rica has about three times as many deaths related to cars than the US. This is due to the poorly kept roads. Roads are often very potholed, are made of loose, large gravel, have very steep grades, and sharp, snake-like turns. Also, the roads are narrow, and on the sides are heavily potholed ditches that are very deep and have a sharp, almost, “curb,” to them from years of water erosion. With another car coming, you have to pull over into the ditch. Gee, why are there so many deaths?

Some of the blame can be put on the drivers as well. Turn signals are a rare and exciting occasion, and road signs were only seen in large towns and cities where they are used very sparingly. This means that there are no established speed limits, thus drivers confidently whiz down the road. Also, it seems to me as if drivers in Costa Rica don’t care much for safety. One time, we were driving in the bus at maybe thirty to thirty-five miles per hour, when, suddenly, an overzealous motorcycler revved past going about forty-five. While the bus took up the entire road, the biker drove into the ditch to pass us. The ditch was a horribly potholed and dangerously rocky pass. He swerved and skidded, so he stuck his feet out to get balance. Hitting grass and pushing himself off the bus, he nearly got himself killed.

Another reason for a high death rate is that major roads and highways are often used as crossing lanes for cowboys and their cattle. Some things I could suggest? Put up road signs like, “Stop, Speed Limit, or Cattle Crossing.” They could establish a better driver safety program, put out some roadside guards or police to enforce laws, and, definitely fix the roads.

But maybe the Costa Rican government can’t afford those things. They might have better uses for money, like feeding their poor. Of course, they do get the money to put up big, fancy hotels, but then again, tourism is by far their biggest economy.

You want my solution? Here it is, there are hundreds of thousands of US tourists who go to Costa Rica every year. They are US Citizens. If the US has enough money to make all these nuclear weapons that we are NEVER GOING TO USE, why not ensure the safety of our citizens? I think the US should donate for better roads and better safety. I think we should keep our people safe, wherever they might go, rather than keep our people dying for worthless reasons in places like Iraq. HERE’S A PLACE TO START!

-Nicolai

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