by Rod Hughes

The effort to put teeth into the country’s traffic laws is still alive and well in a Legislative Assembly committee—but is a topic that lately puts members of the National Liberation Party against a legal consultant advising them, The argument revolves around Liberation deputies’ proposal to punish speeding, reckless disregard for human life and manifestly reckless driving with six months to four years prison.

Humberto Fallas, the consultant says this is the equivalent of cruel and unusual punsihment due to the fact that no crime has been committed. He favors much heavier fines than the weak law currently in effect. In this, he is partially backed by Transport Minister Karla Gonzalez who fears the law could become “an instrument against citizens.” She added that this proposal did not come from the Arias Administration.

But both Fallas and Gonzalez agree on jail time for drunken drivers and those driving under the influence of drugs. But as far as “manifest disregard for human life” is concerned, Fallas says this is the kind of vague, open-ended legal tactic that leaves too much to the judge’s interpretation of what consitutes this kind of driving. “This would be dangerous.” he said, while admitting that traffic death tolls are a “social disaster.”

This underscores an aspect of Costa Rican jurisprudence that demands that the judges take the law literally with little room for adjustment for crcumstances. This makes the lawmaking process long and painstaking, attempting to dot every “i” and cross every “t” and, some thing, demonstrating little confidence in the logic of their magistrates.

by Rod Hughes

For foreigners, it was probably no surprise that the paper La Nacion reported today that overloaded trucks shorten the life of Costa rica’s roads by 50%. Of the thousands of trucks and pickups on the road today, 40% are overloaded, a study shows.

In most countries, too much weight on the axle results in a fine because of a long-recognised relation between pavement deterioration and weight. Because of a lack of weighing stations and traffic police control, highways built to last 15 years are pounded to death in 11 and some show damage within seven years.

The data comes from the National Materials and Structural Model Laboratory of the University of Costa Rica which weighed 2,500 loaded vehicles in 2005 and 2006. The lab says that an axle with dual tires should not support more than 16.5 metric tons but found some up to 32 tons.

The highest percentage of overloaded vehicles were found on the stretch between San Ramon and Esparza, followed by the highway between the airport and San Ramon and the San Jose-Limon Ana road.

But the study did not cover another fact—overloaded trucks are harder to control and may carry weights far too much to allow overtaxed brakes to stop them within a reasonable distance.

by Rod Hughes

Those who move to Costa Rica have no need to mourn the loss of watching auto racing. Although there never has been a “Gran Prix of Costa Rica” and a Formula-1 car has never set tread in this country, international Grand Touring cars race at the twisty course at La Guacima frequently.

Sunday, GT-1 and GT-3 class cars will vie for points in the Istmus championship in the “Three Hours of Costa Rica. Guatemala’s Cromwell Cuestas has only to earn 11 points to nail down the Central American championship in GT-1 but Costa Rica’s Emilio Valverde and Javier Quiros have a chance to frustrate his hopes.

In GT-3, Costa Rica’s Amadeo Quiros and two drivers from Panama, Luis Corbillon and Enrique Pretelt, all have a chance for an Istmus championship in their class.

Some 18,000 racing fans are expected at the course Sunday. (Ironically, this site was closed a few years ago to make way for a more lucrative housing project but the outcry of fans was long and loud. Today, the course boasts covered stands and attendance is growing.)

by Rod Hughes

Alajuela’s soccer team, down 3-0 against Municipal in the UNCAF tourney, went to their rival’s home pitch in Guatemala last night desperately seeking a miracle and, not surprisingly, did not find it, although the Costa Rican team won. (For background, see article 1460)

Those following this sad saga will remember last week—no matter how much they try to forget—when a small group of hooligans invaded the pitch at Alajuela’s Morera Soto Stadium with the score 2-1 in Municipal’s favor. The mini-riot resulted in Alajuela’s goal being awarded to Municipal and the Alajuela club getting a $10,000 fine.

All very un-Costa Rican behavior—inculto, you know—but something about international football (soccer) seems to bring out the beast in a few fans. If you don’t believe this, just ask someone from Liverpool whose fans created fear and loathing in Europe’s stadiums a few decades ago.

So, los Menudos as Alajuela players are affectionately known among their calmer fans, went to Guatemala with the task of making three goals to zero to tie and possibly face down Municipal in a shootout of penalty shots. This is like climbing Mount Everest in a wheelchair—not strictly impossible but unlikely, soccer being a defensive game.

Roy Myrie, having a great year, blasted in the game’s lone goal on a centering kick from Mario Viquez at minute 53. This 1-0 result would have meant a tie in goals if Alajuela had gone into the game only down 2-1. But, thanks to that tiny group of ruffians calling themselves “La Doce” and their stupid antics last week, the miracle did not happen.