Road Safety Country Profiles
Costa Rica 2023

Overview
Costa Rica joined the ITF as a member country in 2023. This country profile summarises roadsafety in Costa Rica based on the most recent data in the IRTAD Database.
Between 2012 and 2021, the number of road deaths in Costa Rica decreased for most road users,
except motorcyclists, among whom road fatalities increased by more than 50%. In 2021,
motorcyclists represented 45% of all road fatalities. However, in 2021, the number of killed
motorcyclists decreased by 4.9% compared to the average 2017-19.
Quick facts: Costa Rica (all data from 2021, unless otherwise stated)
Population

5.2 million

GDP per capita

USD 12 451

Total numberof motor
vehicles

2.6 million
Cars

Motorcycles

Goods vehicles

Buses

64%

29%

3%

2%

Urban roads

Rural roads

Speed limits

40 km/h, except where there is a 50 km/h
sign

40-100 km/h (60 km/h where there is no
sign)

Limits on blood
alcohol content

General drivers

Professional drivers

Novice drivers

0.5 grams/litre (g/l)

0.2 g/l

0.2 g/l707
Road fatalities

Pedestrians

Cyclists

Car occupants

Motorcyclists

Other
unknown

16%

7%

11%

45%

20%

Road fatalities
per 100 000
population

13.7

Road fatalities
per 10 000
vehicles2.7

and

Short-term trends
Road deaths in 2022
In 2022, 485 persons lost their lives on Costa Rica's roads (deaths on the spot). This is 30% morethan in 2021 and 55.9% more than in 2020. Total road deaths in 2020 and 2021, when the country
was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent mobility restrictions, were particularly low.
Compared to the pre-pandemic period (2017-19), the number of road deaths in Costa Rica
increased by 3.2% in 2022 (see Table 1).

Table 1. Road fatalities in Costa Rica, 2017-2022
2017

2018

2019

Average2017-19

2020

2021

2022

2022 compared with2017-19 average

January

45

37

34

39

30

37

56

44.8%

February

35

32

30

32

31

35

45

39.2%

March

53

48

54

52

40

33

44

-14.8%

April

55

40

47

47

14

34

26

-45.1%

May

41

36

34

37

24

26

41

10.8%

June

29

44

27

33

19

34

25

-25.0%

July

33

33

24

30

23

21

44

46.7%

August

31

49

24

35

19

23

34

-1.9%

September

40

32

43

38

23

18

47

22.6%

October

42

30

44

39

31

35

44

13.8%

November

38

37

32

36

20

25

31

-13.1%

December

46

53

58

52

37

52

48

-8.3%

Total

488

471

451

470

311

373

485

3.2%

Note: 2022 data are provisional. Data in this table correspond to deaths on the spot of the crashes. In theother sections of the report, road death data are those within the 30 days of the crash, conforming to theinternational definition.

Road deaths in 2021
Mobility and road safety in Costa Rica were significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic that
hit the world in 2020. Figure 1 illustrates the number of road deaths in 2020, 2021 and 2022
compared to the linear trend before the pandemic. It shows that road death figures for 2020 and
2021 were very much below the trend.
Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on mobility and road crashes, the data for 2020 and
2021 represent a poor reference point for benchmarking. Therefore, for short-term trends, thisreport compares data for 2022 and 2021 with the average for 2017-19.
In 2021, 707 people were killed on the Costa Rican roads within 30 days of the crash. This
represents a decrease of 13.8% compared to the average for 2017-19 (see Figure 2).
Car occupants and pedestrians benefited the most from the decrease, with a decrease of 36.3%
and 26% in fatalities. The number of motorcyclists decreased by 4.9% from 332 to 316. There was
one more cyclist killed in 2021 compared to the average for 2017-19.
All age groups benefited from improved road safety, with the largest reduction in road deaths
among senior citizens aged 65 and above.
In 2021, the road mortality rate in Costa Rica was 13.7 deaths for every 100 000 inhabitants. The
road fatality risk was 2.7 killed per 10 000 registered motor vehicles (Figures 3 and 4).

Figure 1. Road fatalities in Costa Rica in 2020 and 2021 compared to the linear trend since
2012

800
786

707

700

600
570
2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Road deaths

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

Trends 2012-2022

Note: data are not available between 2015 and 2017.

Figure 2. Evolution of road fatalities in Costa Rica by user category and age group, 2021
compared to the average 2017-19

0

-10

-20

-30

User category

Age group
Total number of road deaths

75+

65-74

25-64

21-24

18-20

15-17

0-14

PTW

Passenger cars

Cyclists

Pedestrians

-40

0

IcelandChile

Colombia

Costa Rica

United States

Chile

Argentina

SerbiaNew Zealand

GreecePortugal

Luxembourg

Hungary

Italy

Korea

PolandCzechia

FranceCanadaBelgium

Lithuania

Australia

Netherlands

Austria

Slovenia

Spain

IsraelFinlandGermany

Ireland

Sw itzerland

United Kingdom

DenmarkJapan

Iceland16

Colombia

3

Costa Rica*

SerbiaArgentina

United States*

Hungary

New Zealand

Korea

IsraelGreece*Belgium

Luxembourg

Canada*FrancePoland*Czechia

Lithuania

Netherlands

Italy

Australia

Slovenia

Austria

Germany

Spain

Denmark

United Kingdom

Finland

Sw itzerland

Japan

Sw eden

Sw edenNorw ay0

Norw ay

Figure 3. Road fatalities per 100 000 inhabitants in Costa Rica compared to other IRTAD
countries, 2022
15.2

12

8

4

Figure 4. Road fatalities per 10 000 vehicles in Costa Rica compared to other IRTAD
countries, 2022

5

4

2.7

2

1

Note: in Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Hungary, registered vehicles do not include mopeds. * 2021 data.

Figure 5. Road fatalities in Costa Rica by user category, 2021

Others incl. unknow n 20%

Pedestrians 16%

Cyclists 7%
Passenger car occupants 11%

Motorised tw o-w heelers 45%

Figure 6. Road fatality rate in Costa Rica by user category and age group, 2021
Rate per 100 000 population in the same age group
25

20

15

10

5

0

0-14

15-17

Pedestrians

Cyclists

18-20

21-24

Motorised tw o-w heelers

25-64

Passenger car occupants

65-74

75+

Other users incl. unknow n

Road safety data, 2012-21
Between 2012 and 2021, the number of road deaths in Costa Rica increased by 7.9%. During thesame period, the number of registered motor vehicles in the country increased by 60.1%.
Motorcyclists account for most of the increase in road deaths, with the number of motorcyclists
dying in a crash rising by 55.7%, from 203 in 2012 to 316 in 2021. Meanwhile, road deaths
decreased among pedestrians, cyclists and car occupants over the same period.

Table 2. Crash, casualty and traffic data in Costa Rica, 2012-21
2012

2019

2020

2021

Evolution
2010-21

Reported safety data
Fatalities

655

787

570

707

7.9%

..

2 176

1 604

1 941

..

Hospitalised persons

2 077

2 237

1 594

1 998

-3.8%

Deaths per 100 000 population

14.1

15.6

11.2

13.7

-2.7%

Deaths per 10 000 registered vehicles

4.0

3.2

2.2

2.7

-32.6%

Pedestrians

212

152

120

116

-45.3%

Cyclists

57

50

71

51

-10.5%

Motorcyclists

203

348

218

316

55.7%

Passenger car occupants

164

89

70

80

-51.2%

Other road users

18

147

91

144

700.0%

0-14 years

28

16

17

17

-39.3%

15-17 years

33

20

4

15

-54.5%

18-20 years

46

48

29

44

-4.3%

21-24 years

63

90

67

80

27.0%

25-64 years

415

518

382

480

15.7%

65-74 years

37

65

42

44

18.9%

≥ 75 years

33

29

29

25

-24.2%

Registered vehicles (thousands)

1 644

2 484

2 553

2 631

60.1%

Registered vehicles per 1 000 population

353.3

491.2

499.5

509.6

44.3%

Injury crashes

Fatalities by road user

Fatalities by age group

Traffic data

Figure 7. Evolution of road fatalities, motorisation and GDP in Costa Rica, 2012-21
Index 2012 = 100
160

140

120

100

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Fatalities

2017

2018

2019

Motor vehicles

GDP

2020

2021

2022

Figure 8. Evolution of road fatalities in Costa Rica by user category and age group, 20122021
60

30

0

User category

75+

65-74

25-64

21-24

18-20

15-17

0-14

PTW

Passenger cars

Pedestrians-60

Cyclists-30

Age group
Total number of road deaths

Safety performance indicators
Speed
No information is available on the share of fatal crashes due to speeding in Costa Rica.
Table 3 summarises the main speed limits for passenger cars in Costa Rica.
Table 3. Passenger car speed limits by road type in Costa Rica, 2023
General speed limit
Urban roads

40-70 km/h

Rural roads

80-90 km/h

Drink driving
Limits on blood-alcohol content vary by driver category. Table 4 summarises the limits and typesof sanctions applied in Costa Rica. In 2016, 25% of drivers killed in a road crash in Costa Rica had
a blood-alcohol content above the legal limit.

Table 4. Legal limits on blood-alcohol content and types of sanctions in Costa Rica
General drivers

Novice drivers

Professional drivers

0.51-0.75 g/l

0.21-0.50 g/l

0.21-0.50 g/l≥ 0.76 g/l≥ 0.51 g/l≥ 0.51 g/l

Administrative sanction
Penal sanction

Costa Rica has put in place several measures to combat drink driving.
A 2013 traffic law (No. 9078) includes several administrative and penal sanctions for drink driving.
The traffic police can perform alcohol breath testing during regular police control or following a
traffic crash.
Costa Rica's Road Safety Council (COSEVI) has run several campaigns against drink driving.
Following the adoption of the 2013 law, COSEVI launched a campaign to make young people
aware of the dangers of drink driving and the associated penalties. In 2016-2022, the El Chassis
sos vos ("You are the Chassis") campaign targeted motorcycle drivers and passengers andfocused on the risk of consuming alcohol and riding a motorcycle.

Drugs and driving
In 2016, drugs were detected in less than 1% of all drivers killed in a road crash.

Use of mobile phones while driving
In Costa Rica, drivers are prohibited from driving while using a hand-held phone or other electronic device.
Hands-free devices are tolerated. There is no information on the share of fatal crashes due to the use of mobile
phones while driving.

Seat-belt and helmet use
Traffic law No. 9078 states that all vehicle occupants must wear a seat belt. Children under theage of 12 or less than 1.45 metres in height must travel in the back seat of a vehicle with anadapted child restraint system.
A helmet and reflective clothing are compulsory for drivers and passengers of powered twowheelers. Wearing a helmet is also mandatory for cyclists.

Table 5. Seat-belt and helmet wearing rates in Costa Rica, 2020
Percentages
Front-seats
Drivers

71*

Passengers

63*

General36*

Motorcycle drivers

97

Motorcycle passengers

90

Rear-seats

Helmets

Note: *On national roads.

Cost of road crashes
Road traffic crashes represent a high cost for Costa Rica; however, no quantified estimate of thiscost is currently available.

Road safety management and strategy
Responsibility for the organisation of road safety in Costa Rica lies with the National Road Safety
Council (COSEVI), which was created in 1979 as an independent agency of the Ministry of Public
Works and Transport. COSEVI formulates road safety policies and facilitates the funding andimplementation of road safety projects. It aims to create, promote and maintain a road safety
culture in society.
Costa Rica's road safety strategy for 2021-30 was still under development as of June 2023.
The country's previous road safety strategy covered the period 2015-2020. Its main target was toreduce by 20% the road mortality rate. The strategy was based on the following pillars:•

Improvement of the regulatory framework for road safety•

Improvement of road safety in urban areas•

Modernisation of the Statistics and Research in mobility and road safety•

Infrastructure improvement, including the development of "forgiving" roads•

Strengthening the vehicle safety system•

Police enforcement focused on the main risk factors•

Driver education and promotion of safe behaviours•

Modernisation of the driver training and accreditation system•

Co-operation with all stakeholders,organisations and the private sector.

includingcivilsociety,non-governmental

Latest road safety measures
Several measures have been implemented to improve the safety of motorcyclists, who represent
a large and growing share of traffic casualties.
Enforcement efforts have focused on helmet use, alcohol consumption, possession of a licenceand vehicle inspections. Local police officers have been trained to contribute to enforcement
operations.
The El Chassis sos vos ("You are the Chassis") campaign conducted in 2016-2022 highlighted
motorcyclists' specific risks and vulnerabilities and raised awareness about the danger of alcohol
consumption, speeding and dangerous manoeuvres.
A new motorcycle technical inspection manual, as well as a specific inspection protocol, has been
put into operation.
A new manual was released in 2022 to support driver training.
Costa Rica has adopted new laws concerning technical standards for motorcycle helmets andusing motorcycles in the workplace.
Costa Rica adopted a new law in 2021 that gives local municipalities more power to protect
pedestrians and cyclists better.
In 2019, Cosa Rica adopted a law regarding the mobility and safety of cyclists. This law aims to
improve health conditions, develop alternative means of transport in urban and rural areas, andreduce the use of fossil fuels in transport.
Road safety is now included in the school curriculum. 200 000 road safety manuals have been
distributed in primary schools nationwide.

Research and resources
Publications
Road safety data and indicators in Costa Rica (2022):
https://www.csv.go.cr/documents/20126/50815/Perfil+de+los+accidentes+de+tr%C3%A1nsito+e+indicadores+de+desempe%C3%B1o+en+Costa+Rica+2022.pdf/50493169-63fa-5069-004f222a3cacc722?t=1679582294435
Costa Rica: National study on the use of child restraint systems (2021):
https://www.csv.go.cr/documents/20126/50815/Estudio+sobre+uso+de+SRI_2021_vl.pdf/7033bf
75-e9c4-04ca-8d5b-64dc2ce4ed20?t=1659123096504

Costa Rica's annual road safety report (2021):
https://www.csv.go.cr/documents/20126/50694/1_Anuario+estad%C3%ADstico+de+accidentes+
de+tr%C3%A1nsito+con+v%C3%ADctimas+en+Costa+Rica+2021.pdf/ef2b3260-fa5d-dc72-d7f86351f255d281?t=1662576397628
National study on the use of passive safety devices, protective equipment and distracting factors(2020):
https://www.csv.go.cr/documents/20126/50815/Estudio+uso+de+dispositivos+de+seguridad+pa
siva+2020+Cosevi+VL.pdf/4b3845c6-bc3c-5e1e-8549-f4831a1a05e7?t=1659123722314
Perception of the public regarding road safety in Costa Rica (2019):
https://www.csv.go.cr/documents/20126/50815/Investigaci%C3%B3n+percepci%C3%B3n+en+se
guridad+vial+y+movilidad++Cosevi+2019.pdf/49cbd968-6b25-0664-b8b4cb1947f7133f?t=1601053619485

Websites
Consejo de Seguridad Vial: www.csv.cr
Road safety data (open source): https://datosabiertos.csv.go.cr/home

Definitions, methodology and data collection
Term

Definition

Road death

A death whose cause, as defined in the International Statistical Classificationof Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10), corresponds to a trafficcrash without limitation in time. Suicides are excluded. To match theinternational definition of deaths within 30 days of the crash, a correction
factor of 0.97 is applied in the IRTAD database.

Person injured

Any person involved in a traffic crash with casualties who was categorised asslightly injured or seriously injured.

Person seriously injured

Any person involved in a traffic crash with casualties who was categorised bya traffic officer as seriously injured. No medical or hospitalisation criteria areapplied; the responding police officer makes the assessment.

Costa Rica maintains two main databases:
1. A traffic crash database fed by the police and managed by COSEVI
2. A vital registry database fed by forensic practitioners and managed by the National
Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC)Road crashes are usually notified to the police through the single national emergency number(911), which is widely used nationwide. Traffic police attend all crashes involving injuries, using
hand-held electronic devices to collect data at the crash site, which is then downloaded into asingle national database at COSEVI.
COSEVI cross-checks data relating to people killed at a crash site with those included in the vitalregistry. No checks are performed against healthcare sources. For all fatal crashes, the variables

on location, date, time and role are checked against supplementary administrative information
held by the national police.
Data on serious injuries only come from the traffic police.
COSEVI publishes on its website road-death data reported by the police (at the crash site) and by
the
National
InstituteofStatistics
andCensus(INEC)(yearof
death):
https://datosabiertos.csv.go.cr/dashboards/19737/informacion-general-de-costa-rica/.

About the IRTAD Database
The IRTAD Database includes road safety data, aggregated by country and year from 1970
onwards. It provides an empirical basis for international comparisons and more effective roadsafety policies.
The IRTAD Group validates data for quality before inclusion in the database. At present, thedatabase includes validated data from 35 countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium,
Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,
New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United
Kingdom and the United States.
The data is provided in a common format based on definitions developed and agreed by the
IRTAD Group. Selected data is available for free; full online access requires IRTAD membership.
Access the IRTAD Database via the OECD statistics portal:
https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=IRTAD_CASUAL_BY_AGE

About the International Transport ForumThe International Transport Forum (ITF) is an intergovernmental organisation with 66 member
countries that organises global dialogue for better transport. It acts as a think tank for transport
policy and hosts the Annual Summit of transport ministers. The ITF is the only global body thatcovers all transport modes. The ITF is administratively integrated with the OECD, yet politicallyautonomous.
www.itf-oecd.org

About the IRTAD GroupThe International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis (IRTAD) Group is the ITF's permanent working
group for road safety. It brings together road safety experts from national road administrations,road safety research institutes, international organisations, automobile associations, insurancecompanies, car manufacturers, etc. With 80 members and observers from more than 40
countries, the IRTAD Group is a central force in promoting international co-operation on roadcrash data and its analysis.
www.itf-oecd.org/irtad

Disclaimer
The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official
views of International Transport Forum member countries. This document and any map included
herein are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitationof international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.
Data in this country profile have been provided by countries to the database of the International
Traffic Safety Data and Analysis (IRTAD) Group. Where data has not been independently validatedby IRTAD, this is indicated.
Read more country profiles online:
https://www.itf-oecd.org/road-safety-annual-report-2023
Last updated: 15 June 2023

© OECD/ITF 2024

Cite this work as: ITF (2024), "Costa Rica: Road Safety Country Profile 2023", OECD Publishing, Paris.

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