Cuba Reports Over 1,200 Traffic Accidents in First Quarter, Hundreds Dead

Cuba experienced a significant number of traffic accidents during the first three months of the year. Between January and March 2026, authorities recorded a total of 1,234 traffic accidents across the island.

These incidents unfortunately led to 153 people losing their lives and left 1,154 individuals injured, according to data from the National Road Safety Commission reported by Granma newspaper.

📄 Where and When

The accidents occurred throughout Cuba during the period of January 1st to March 31st, 2026.

The main groups involved in these accidents were motorcycles, mopeds, and pedestrians. These vulnerable road users were part of approximately 74% of all the reported incidents.

📄 Why It's Important

These numbers are concerning for Cuban authorities despite a slight decrease compared to the previous year. The data highlights ongoing safety issues on Cuban roads.

The high involvement of motorcycles and pedestrians points to a need for better road safety measures for these groups and increased awareness among all road users.

📄 What The Authorities Say

According to Lieutenant Colonel Chetty Carlos Lastre Rodríguez, head of the Traffic department of the Revolutionary National Police, the primary causes remain driver inattention, failure to yield the right of way, and speeding.

While all provinces saw a reduction in accident numbers, some areas like Havana, Villa Clara, Las Tunas, Sancti Spíritus, and Guantánamo reported more fatalities, indicating varied severity across regions. The state sector is also implicated, responsible for about half of the accidents and a large majority of severe ones.

📄 What Comes Next

To address the situation, authorities are planning to strengthen preventive controls on roads and promote the use of protective gear.

They also aim to formalize vehicles without license plates and improve driver training, possibly using simulators. Officials stressed that the human factor is still the main reason for accidents and emphasized the need to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of these new measures.