Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
Results for “road safety”Clear
Guayaquil recorded 300 road deaths in 2025, a 15% increase from 2024, and 75% of those killed were pedestrians or motorcyclists. ATM data also tied 208 of the 300 deaths to speeding-related incidents.
El Universo reports the government proposed transit-law reforms that would give the National Police control over the national road network and strengthen access to toll-road images and cantonal transit-agency information.
Ecuador's Ministry of Public Health says 25% of all medical visits to the public health system in January 2026 were caused by traffic accidents. In 2025, Ecuador recorded 20,346 traffic accidents, 17,932 people injured, and 2,354 killed. It's not a small problem.
At 4:31 AM on Sunday, April 12, a bus and a light vehicle collided roughly one kilometer from the Olmedo toll plaza on the Via a la Costa in Santa Elena province. The crash killed four people and injured nine. Cause is under investigation.
A Trans Esmeraldas interprovincial bus overturned on the E20 highway during Semana Santa travel, injuring more than 20 passengers. A separate crash in Colta killed 2. The incidents underscore the persistent dangers of Ecuador's highway system during peak holiday travel periods.
