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Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Santino Castillo spoke at the project launch and as an avid cyclist discussed the perils of the George Price Highway:

Hon. Santino Castillo - Minister of State with Responsibility for Economic Development
"You don't know a road until you've traveled it and to traverse it on a bicycle. Having been a sponsor in cycling for the past 34 years, and having ridden with my team all this while, and as recently as yesterday morning, I recognize the importance of that stretch of highway, the Western Highway which is the one most utilized by cyclist. I know how important it is to improve the highway, having been brushed many times by vehicles. The high death rate on our highway is a serious health concern, given the resulting lost in productivity, and increase venerability to poverty has significant social and economic repercussions. The launching of the road safety project is therefore with very good timing. The project represents the first phase of what is expected to be a long-term initiative, of the Government of Belize to improve road safety in Belize. Its overall objective is to reduce deaths and serious injuries associated with road traffic accidents. The project, as you know, will focus from the Belize City round about, at the junction of Cemetery Road and Central America Boulevard, to the junction of the Humming Bird and George Price Highway in Belmopan, and along the Humming Bird highway to its junction with Constitution Drive in Belmopan and around the entire Belmopan Ring road. The road safety project commenced in January this year will run initially for 39 months. It will be financed by the Government of Belize through a loan from the CDB, along with counterpart financing from GOB."

The project will see safety improvements at problem spots along the Western Highway, driver education, stricter enforcement of traffic laws, support to BERT and the Western Regional Hospital to enhance post-crash response; and capacity building for personnel from institutions involved in road safety management.

Belize has the highest traffic death rate per hundred thousand inhabitants in Latina American. That rate is 21.6 per hundred thousand.

In 2006, Belize recorded 68 road deaths, equivalent to approximately 31.1 traffic deaths per 100,000 the highest fatality rate amongst the Bank's member countries.

Between 2004 and 2006, 70% of all collisions occurred in the Belize District, followed by the Orange Walk District with approximately 14%. Road traffic injuries as the fourth leading cause of death in the country, regardless of age and sex.