Motorcycles, which record the highest percentage of road accidents in Mexico City, have overcrowded the impound lots of the capital due to various violations of traffic regulations. The lack of safety helmet use and improper plate placement are the most common infractions that lead to these vehicles being impounded. The mayor, Clara Brugada, will expand regulations by considering electric bicycles as motorized vehicles that must also be registered.
During 2024, more than 83,960 motorcycles were taken to the impound lots in Mexico City, highlighting an increase in the last three months of the previous year, a time when road accidents tend to rise due to festivities such as Day of the Dead, Posadas, and Christmas, where alcohol consumption contributes to fatal accidents. The implementation of speed radar by the Secretary of Citizen Security could worsen this situation by identifying those who exceed speed limits.
The upcoming regulation of electric bicycles will include mandatory helmet use and the obligation to register vehicles. This could result in an increase in fines and impoundments in the coming months. Clara Brugada reported that there are currently 750,722 motorcycles in Mexico City, and 19,207 road accidents involving motorcyclists were reported in the last quarter of 2024. Of these accidents, 49% resulted in the death of motorcyclists.
In the period between January 2019 and May 2024, 3,735 people died in traffic accidents in Mexico City, of which 1,197 were motorcyclists, representing 32% of the total victims. In the last quarter of 2022, motorcyclists topped the list of deaths in road accidents. 33% of the 397 breathalyzer tests conducted on deceased motorcyclists were positive, reflecting a high mortality rate related to alcohol consumption in this group, predominantly made up of young men.
