IN VENEZUELA, THAT RECKLESS DRIVERS KILL MORE PEOPLE THAN VIOLENT CRIMINALS, IS VIEWED WITH APATHY BY BOTH CITIZENS AND AUTHORITIES IS CHIEFLY BECAUSE OF A MISCONCEPTION OF THE TRUE NATURE OF TRAFFIC-RELATED CRIMES AND THE INABILITY TO FIT TRAFFIC OFFENDERS INTO THE PREVALENT CRIMINAL STEREOTYPES. FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE THE MENS REA O OF TRAFFIC OFFENDERS GOES BACK TO THE POSITIVIST SCHOOL OF CRIMINOLOGY, WHICH REGARDED INJURIES AND DEATHS CAUSED BY NEGLIGENCE AS PSEUDO-CRIMES OR QUASI-CRIMES. POLICE AND JUDICIAL AUTHORITIES, THEREFORE, REFUSE TO REGARD TRAFFIC OFFENDERS AS CRIMINALS AND COURT DISPOSITIONS OF TRAFFIC CASES ARE USUALLY FINES, UNBELIEVABLY SHORT SENTENCES (NEVER MORE THAN 3 YEARS), AND, MOST FREQUENTLY, ACQUITTALS. AS THE INCIDENCE OF TRAFFIC FATALITIES CONTINUES TO INCREASE, THE VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT IS ACTUALLY REDUCING THE NUMBER OF TRAFFIC CONTROL PERSONNEL AND HIGHWAY PATROLMEN AND APPROPRIATING FEWER FUNDS FOR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT. THE PROBLEM WILL NEVER BE SOLVED UNTIL BOTH AUTHORITIES REALIZE THAT RECKLESS INDIVIDUALS WHO DRIVE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL AND DRUGS, SWITCH LANES ON THE HIGHWAY, IGNORE TRAFFIC LIGHTS, RUN OVER INNOCENT PEDESTRIANS, AND LEAVE THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT ACT WITH CRIMINAL INTENT AND MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR CRIMES, BROUGHT TO TRIAL, AND GIVEN SENTENCES COMMENSURATE WITH THE GRAVITY OF THEIR OFFENSES. ONE OF THE ATTITUDES TO BE CHANGED IS THE PERCEPTION OF THE VICTIM AS BEING THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT IN THE MAJORITY OF CASES, ESPECIALLY THOSE INVOLVING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE. REMEDIES TO THE TRAFFIC FATALITY PROBLEM IN VENEZUELA INCLUDE AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBERS AND QUALITY OF TRAFFIC CONTROL PERSONNEL AND HIGHWAY PATROLMEN, MORE FREQUENT AND DETAILED MANDATORY CARE INSPECTIONS, AND THE HOLDING OF CAR MANUFACTURERS AS ACCOUNTABLE FOR ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE VEHICLES. ARGUMENTS ARE ILLUSTRATED WITH NUMEROUS STATISTICAL TABLES, FOOTNOTES, AND AN OVERVIEW OF PERTINENT LITERATURE. TWO NARRATIVE AND STATISTICAL APPENDIXES DESCRIBE THE CAUSES OF TRAFFIC FATALITIES AND THE MAIN FEATURES OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO TYPE, PLACE, AND TIME OF ACCIDENT, TYPE AND NUMBER OF VICTIMS, AND TYPE OF INJURIES. AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY IS ALSO APPENDED. --IN SPANISH. (LGR).