Alcohol consumption was responsible for almost 9,000 traffic accidents in 2011, according to data released this week by the Health Ministry.
Joel Collazos, the ministry official responsible for traffic safety, said that alcohol caused 8,929 accidents in the Andean nation, with the highest concentration of the incidents occurring in Lima, daily El Comercio reported.
“Traffic accidents are a grave problem of public health as the majority of the cases affect young people, reduce the life-span of these people and increase the possibility and periods of incapacity,” Collazos said.
The city with most accidents was Lima, followed by Arequipa, Peru’s second largest city, and Huancavelica.
There is little information about the dangers of drinking and driving in Peru, although there have been campaigns in recent years, including television ads and billboards, aimed at improving driver education.
