In Costa Rica, as in other countries in the region, most social spaces have consolidated around trails, roads and highways that interconnect communities and regions. As more and more roads are being built, and the number of cars in use continues to grow, cultural changes are generated that condition the dynamics of mobility within societies and among users of the road system, often leading to conflicts in the form of traffic accidents with serious individual, family and social repercussions. The perspective of Social Sciences allows a wider reading and deeper knowledge of the needs that affect exposure to the risk of an automobile crash and the characteristics that determine mobility patterns in the large cities of Costa Rica’s Central Valley, in its emerging cities, and in rural areas. Participation of social scientists in theoretical debates and decision making on public policies related to mobility and road safety is essential to overcome the car-centric model that continues to prevail in the management of the road system.En Costa Rica, como en el resto de la región, es común que muchos de los espacios sociales se hayan consolidado alrededor de trochas, caminos, carreteras y autopistas que interconectan comunidades y regiones. Cada vez se construyen más carreteras y aumenta el parque automotor, esto genera (y obedece a) cambios culturales que condicionan las dinámicas de movilidad dentro de las sociedades y los usuarios del sistema vial, que muchas veces devienen en conflictos en la forma de siniestros de tránsito, con serias repercusiones para el individuo, la familia y la sociedad. Las Ciencias Sociales permiten no solo una lectura más amplia, sino también conocer a mayor profundidad las necesidades que condicionan la exposición al riesgo de un choque vial y las características que determinan los patrones de movilidad, tanto en las grandes urbes del Valle Central, en las ciudades emergentes, como en las zonas rurales. La participación en el debate teórico y la toma de decisiones sobre políticas públicas en movilidad y seguridad vial de científicos sociales es fundamental para superar el modelo carrocéntrico que sigue predominando en la gestión de sistema vial.In Costa Rica, as in other countries in the region, most social spaces have consolidated around trails, roads and highways that interconnect communities and regions. As more and more roads are being built, and the number of cars in use continues to grow, cultural changes are generated that condition the dynamics of mobility within societies and among users of the road system, often leading to conflicts in the form of traffic accidents with serious individual, family and social repercussions. The perspective of Social Sciences allows a wider reading and deeper knowledge of the needs that affect exposure to the risk of an automobile crash and the characteristics that determine mobility patterns in the large cities of Costa Rica’s Central Valley, in its emerging cities, and in rural areas. Participation of social scientists in theoretical debates and decision making on public policies related to mobility and road safety is essential to overcome the car-centric model that continues to prevail in the management of the road system.