In January and February of this year, there were 2,397 preventable traffic accidents on Ecuador’s roads. In 2012, there were a total of 23,842 accidents considered preventable. The accidents tracked in this data set include accidents attributed to driving under the influence, reckless driving, parking infractions, speeding, engine failures, running a red light, unsafe passing and pedestrian/cyclist error.

The government has an ongoing public awareness campaign about the causes of these preventable accidents, but the director of a road safety non-profit says that’s not enough to curb bad driver behavior in Ecuador.

The campaign is called “Párale el carro,” (Stop the Car). It was created by the Ministry of Transportation, the national car insurance agency, the National Transit Agency and national police. It’s meant to encourage citizens to report rule-breaking that they witness, as well as increase driver awareness of the perils of cell phone use, speeding and ignoring cyclists.

Guillermo Abad, president of the non-profit Justicia Vial (Sp), says that although he believes awareness campaigns do help, they don’t come close to attacking the root of the problem of driving in Ecuador. He says an awareness campaign similar to “Párale el Carro” already happened between 2004 and 2011.

Abad says the correct education of drivers needs to start early: in primary and secondary school. He finds it worrisome that government efforts so far just focus on changing the bad habits of the generations that are already driving.

Abad says the law supports his thesis. Article 4 of the Law of Transit mentions the creation of “adequate conscience” in public schools, though a class called Road Education which should be included in all curriculums. Once this foundation is set, he said, ongoing awareness campaign would be more effective at reminding drivers the principles they already know.

But Luis Lalama, from the Ecuadorian transit commission, says they’ve seen positive results since “Párale el Carro” started. He said traffic accidents in Guayaquil are down 40 percent. “That show drivers are paying attention.”

Citizens can report bad drivers on the campaign’s website (Sp). Stickers on bar bathrooms remind partiers not to get behind a wheel (in the last 3 years, there have been 7,407 recorded cases of drunk driving).

Abad says the police stats don’t necessarily reflect the reality on the roads. He says his organization has collected data that shows that deaths attributed to traffic accidents are up since 2008.

View a chart in Spanish of Ecuadors preventable accidents since 2010

Original story