Mérida’s Periférico Manuel Berzunza, the 50 kilometers-long ring that surrounds the city, has become the most dangerous road in the State and one of the riskiest around Mexico, according to accident statistics recorded in recent years. , since the Periférico exceeds 300 traffic accidents on average per year.
In 2023 alone, there were 20 deaths on the Mérida Periférico, according to data collected by engineer René Flores Ayora, a Road Safety auditor certified by Cenapra. Of those 20 deaths, nine were pedestrians, four motorcyclists, three cyclists, two passengers, and two motorists.
In addition, the Periférico recorded 313 accidents during 2023, in which 219 people were injured. These figures position this road as the most dangerous in Yucatán and the third with the highest mortality rate in the country.
Among the main causes of accidents on the Periférico, excess speed stands out, since the maximum allowed is 90 kilometers per hour; not keeping the regulatory distance between vehicles, ignoring signs, and invading or obstructing the side lanes by heavy units.
Factors such as the design of the Periférico, the lack of maintenance, the poor lighting in some sections, and the density of traffic, which during peak hours reaches 150 thousand vehicles circulating, also influence.
Likewise, as it is a road designed for high speed, the impact of accidents is usually greater, causing fatal injuries among drivers and passengers.
The area of the Periférico with the most accidents is the Norponiente section, which crosses numerous subdivisions and areas of high vehicular traffic, such as shopping centers, schools, offices, and recreational areas.
Faced with this problem, the Ministry of Public Security (SSP) has implemented operations to try to reduce the incidence of accidents in the Mérida Peripheral Ring.
One of these operations is the “carousel”, which consists of two patrol cars traveling the road at the maximum permitted speed of 90 kilometers per hour to prevent motorists from exceeding the limit.
Video surveillance cameras have also been installed at strategic points and intelligent traffic lights are being placed that change to amber when they detect that a vehicle is approaching at excessive speed.
Likewise, the SSP has deployed mobile radars to measure speed and apply “cruise closures” with agents at the exits of the Periférico to verify that drivers are not driving in inconvenient conditions.
However, experts point out that a greater permanent police presence is required along the Peripheral Ring, as well as better lighting and maintenance of the asphalt surface and signage.
TYT Newsroom
