2 Out of 3 Crash Victims in Belize Were Over the Legal Alcohol Limit

Over the weekend, four people lost their lives in separate road traffic accidents across the country. On Friday, an incident involving the collision of two motorcycles on the George Price Highway claimed the life of twenty-eight-year-old Keith Guzman and left three others hospitalized. Unfortunately, these tragic deaths are common, but they are avoidable. The Ministry of Transport says real change starts with teaching good driving habits early and enforcing tougher penalties for those who make our roads unsafe. News Five’s Britney Gordon reports.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Earlier this week, the National Forensic Science Service released some eye-opening data about road traffic incidents in Belize. Get this, two out of every three people involved in these crashes had alcohol levels way above the legal limit. And we’re not just talking about drivers; this includes passengers and even pedestrians who were hit. The numbers are hard to believe, more than one hundred and eighty milligrams of alcohol per hundred milliliters of blood, or over one hundred and seven milligrams per hundred milliliters of urine. So, what does this really mean for road safety? Executive Director Gian Cho breaks it down for us.

 

Gian Cho, Executive Director, National Forensic Science Service

“Sixty-eight percent of the persons involved, whether in a fatal or non-fatal were above the legal limit and the other pie chart where it was just sixty percent, that was for fatalities. When samples were collected from anybody who unfortunately died in a an RTI sixty percent of those samples, again, whether it’s a passenger, the driver, a victim involved a blood alcohol level above the legal limit.”

 

According to the Ministry of Transport, many fatal crashes are the result of negligence. Chief Executive Officer, Chester Williams, says the ministry is gearing up to boost highway patrols by outfitting officers with speed guns, as well as body and dashboard cameras to improve the effectiveness of highway patrol operations.

 

Chester Williams, C.E.O., Ministry of Transport

“The dash cam will be able to pick up, gather video footages of the behavior of drivers when they’re stopped by the officers. And even of the behavior of drivers when they’re driving when they have pursuit, they don’t want to stop. And it’s going to help us tremendously to be able to collect evidence that we’ll be able to co to convict people. The whole issue of. Driving under the influence again is something that we’re pushing on.”

 

Cho further explains that the data shared by the NFSS does not reflect every incident, as many survivors do not provide a blood or urine sample for testing. The hundred and seventy-nine samples in this dataset were analyzed during the first half of this year, but some of them actually trace back to incidents that happened as far back as 2024.

 

Gian Cho

“Our data that is being shared right now covers a time period January to June, 2025. That refers to when analysis was done of the samples, not when the incident occurred, because, or any laboratory. We don’t analyze samples in real time. If accident happens today, we don’t analyze it today.”

 

Another troubling observation with the volume of road traffic incidents is how many of them involve motorcycles. Williams says getting a license to operate one in Belize is far too easy.

 

Chester Williams

“We’re looking at driving school where persons can go and take lessons in the maneuvering of motorcycles and the laws governing use of motorcycles. And in presenting your application for a motorcycle license, you would have to present with that application is certificate from the institutions to that will be provided. The training can be ITVET and any other institution that are so certified,  certifying you in the handling of motorcycles and the laws that governs the use of motorcycles.”

 

The ministry has proposed several amendments to Belize’s laws and recommends that stiffer penalties be handed to offenders. Such as permanent license revocation.

 

Chester Williams

“The driver’s license that you possess is a privilege that you have. It’s not of right. And while you do have the privilege, then you must make sure that you use it the right way. And do not use your driver’s license to weaponize yourself with a vehicle and then kill other people. It cannot work. As a society, we almost condemn that and do what needs to be done to make our people more safe.”

 

As the holiday season approaches, the public is strongly advised to adhere to Belize’s speed limits and avoid driving under the influence. Britney Gordon for News Five.