Road safety expert urges 'not to criminalize motorcyclists' and highlights importance of enforcement in Uruguay

Motorcyclists are the most vulnerable group in traffic accidents in Uruguay, accounting for more than half of the 471 fatalities recorded in 2025. This alarming trend is mirrored across Latin America and globally, driven by the increasing popularity and affordability of motorcycles as a mode of transport and work.

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The objective is to work with the intendancies to promote road safety actions for motorcyclists. What is wanted is for there to be more plans and more actions to reduce deaths and injuries in Uruguay, which currently represent more than 50% (of total accidents).

Hilda Gómez, a leading road safety engineer from Colombia and a specialist in motorcycle safety for the World Health Organization, highlighted these issues during a forum at Uruguay's legislative palace. The event aimed to collaborate with local authorities to develop and implement action plans to reduce motorcycle-related deaths and injuries.

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It is something that is happening in Latin America and in the world in general. Motorcycle fleets in countries are growing very rapidly. That has many factors. First, the ease of acquiring a motorcycle, how economical it is, the door-to-door service it provides. It is a work element for the population. It has become the family vehicle in low-income countries.

Gómez explained that while motorcycles offer significant advantages, such as accessibility and door-to-door service, they are inherently unsafe due to their instability and speed relative to other vehicles. The rapid growth in motorcycle ownership directly correlates with the rise in fatalities, as the rider's body essentially becomes the vehicle's chassis.

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Because the chassis is the person, it is the motorcyclist. It is unstable, it is two wheels. And it travels at the speed of a car. Due to its design, the motorcycle is an unsafe vehicle. As motorcycle fleets grow so much, the number of dead motorcyclists increases.

She stressed the importance of effective traffic control measures, particularly for speed. Gómez noted that Uruguay's use of speed cameras and photodetectors has been effective in continuous monitoring, a task difficult for physical police presence alone. This approach is crucial for curbing risky behaviors and ultimately saving lives on the road.

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They are fundamental for controlling risk practices in general, but mainly speeding. Uruguay has done it and it has worked for them. Photodetection is one of the best because it is always monitoring. A physical police officer will not be there at two in the morning taking speed.