To avoid driving tragedies, heed safety tips
Raphael Martinez
Judging by the number of closed businesses, it is clear that some people are on their way to their holiday destination. But too often people are carefree and careless which then taints the holidays with the wreckage and tears of tragedy. So Raphael Martinez, Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of National Security, has some safety tips, particularly for those travelling by road in the next few days.
Raphael Martinez, Acting Police Press Officer
“This is very, very important especially during the Easter holidays people tend to drink a lot and there’s one word I want to share with them and it’s “moderation” because we can’t stop people from drinking. But if you’re driving, please don’t drink and drive and of course we do have people who have that tendency to be talking on their phones while their driving, especially long distances. We again encourage you to refrain from such practices, please utilize your hands free systems and don’t text. Texting and driving is a definite no, no. and again, God forbid you come across the scene of an accident; the impulse is for you to just jump and grab people out of that wreckage. Don’t do that. If it’s not in the best interest of that person i.e., if the person is not in immediate danger—for example the vehicle is about to explode, he is being doused with gasoline—you can just go be by that person side, call 911, reassure that person that help is on the way. If the person asks for a drink of water or something or some basic assistance, you can render that assistance. But if you just pull the person out of that wreckage you could do further damage to the damage that has already been done. Again, some people would like to go to maybe the Rio Frio Cave, Rio Hondo; the cool spots in the Mountain Pine Ridge area. At this time, it’s pretty dry and one lit cigarette can create serious forest fires.”
Jose Sanchez
“And are you limited to the three days?”
Marcelino Miranda
“With your passport normally, the immigration officers give you one hundred and eighty days to stay in Mexico. But it is up to the immigration officer to provide or to state the number of days that you are allowed to stay in Mexico. But with your Belizean passport normally as I said you can travel several days within Mexico.”
The embassy will be closed from the sixth of April and re-opens until the ninth, therefore, the issuing of visas and passports will be suspended during those days. Miranda says while passports allow you to travel as far as Cancun, if you intend to drive beyond that destination, you will need to register your vehicle at the border with a redeemable deposit.
