Spanish
Between January 1st and March 15th, 2026, El Salvador reported 5,067 road accidents, a figure that represents a 31% increase compared to the same period of the previous year, according to data from the National Road Safety Observatory.
During this period, authorities recorded 3,286 injured people and 308 deaths, reflecting an increase in the severity of accidents on the country's roads, according to the balance released by the National Civil Police (PNC).
The report highlights that the daily average of traffic accidents rose from 52 to 68 compared to the first months of 2025. The number of daily injuries increased from 32 to 44, while the number of fatalities increased from 3 to 4. According to the report from the National Road Safety Observatory, the capital, San Salvador, was the department with the most incidents, accumulating 1,717 accidents, followed by La Libertad with 705 and San Miguel with 659. San Salvador also recorded the highest number of fatalities, with 66, followed by La Libertad with 31 and San Miguel with 28.
Regarding the distribution of fatalities by type of vulnerable user, the official report indicates 131 pedestrians, 117 motorcyclists, and 7 cyclists among the fatalities in 2026. Adults of working age constitute the most affected group, with 205 of the 308 deceased, followed by senior adults (72) and minors (31).
You can also read: El Salvador increased from 4.7% in 2019 to 15.8% by 2025
The main causes of road accidents identified by the National Road Safety Observatory were driver distraction (1,298 cases), lane invasion (1,064), not keeping a safe distance (692), not respecting traffic signals (677), and excessive speed (335). Regarding the injured, driver distraction also tops the list (759), followed by lane invasion (748), disobeying signals (490), excessive speed (326), and not keeping a safe distance (260).
The Observatory's analysis shows that the types of accidents with the highest fatality rate in 2026 were pedestrian accidents, responsible for 41.88% of the deaths, followed by collisions (35.39%), crashes (12.99%), rollovers (4.87%) and events classified as special characteristics, such as passenger falls or incidents with animals on the road (4.87%). During this period, the number of people arrested for dangerous driving remained at 430 apprehended, a figure similar to that of 2025. Official statistics show that the days with the highest incidence of accidents were Fridays and Saturdays, with peaks in collisions and crashes.
