Six people died in traffic accidents during the long weekend for the Encounter of Two Worlds holiday, according to the figures police released this Sunday. The figures cover incidents recorded up to 23:59 on Saturday.
According to Emol, the deaths occurred in 117 road crashes across the country, which also left 74 people injured. According to Meganoticias, police specified that all fatalities were in accidents that occurred in the regions. The report does not specify the routes or municipalities where they occurred.
During the same period, 260,373 vehicles left the Metropolitan Region. Of these, 30% took Route 5 South, 22% took Route 78 toward San Antonio, 21% took Route 68 toward Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, and 20% took Route 5 North.
Police conducted 29,667 checks and inspections in the field. These included 8,094 breathalyzer tests and 71 drug tests, which detect the presence of alcohol and drugs in drivers.
The checks resulted in 86 people being arrested. Of these, 44 were driving while intoxicated, 15 under the influence of alcohol, 22 under the influence of drugs, and five were arrested for reckless driving.
Police also issued 938 citations. Speeding accounted for 600 cases, followed by failure to wear a seat belt, with 301, and child restraint violations, with 37.
On the first day of the long weekend, police had reported two deaths and 25 arrests. The sources provide no figures on return traffic or specific recommendations for the return journey.
Police said they will continue preventive checks on the country's main highways, focusing on driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and on speeding.
