Three hundred and sixty-one Jamaicans lost their lives on the nation’s roadways as a result of fatal collisions up to Tuesday, November 21.

According to the Road Safety Unit (RSU) in the Ministry of Transport, this is a 15 per cent decline in road fatalities compared to the corresponding period last year.

Motorcyclists accounted for the highest number of road users killed since the start of the year, at 35 per cent, followed by private motor vehicle drivers, 19 per cent; pedestrians, 18 per cent; and private motor vehicle passengers, 11 per cent.

Yesterday, November 21, two fourth-form students of the Petersfield High School became the latest motorcycle fatalities. The teens died in a fatal collision along the Petersfield main road. Both Education Minister Fayval Williams and Transport Minister Daryl Vaz expressed shock over the tragedy, which followed closely on the heels of another fatal accident involving students of the same school.

“I am shocked, truly shocked, at news of the most unfortunate deaths of two 4th form students of Petersfield High School. The two boys died in a bike and motorcar accident on their way to school this morning. They are from Darliston, Westmoreland. We grieve w/ family and friends!,” Williams said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“It is tragic that we are faced with this reality today – that we have lost two of our young men to collision, despite the extensive efforts to educate and create behaviour change when it comes to road safety,” said Vaz in a statement to the media.

Police report that the students were travelling on a motorcycle along the Petersfield main road around 6:50 a.m., when they lost control and collided with a motor car, which caught fire.

The parishes of Westmoreland, St Catherine, and St Andrew accounted for the highest number of fatalities to date, while males accounted for 87 per cent of the fatalities.

Despite the reduction in road fatalities, the director of the RSU, Deidrie Hudson-Sinclair, is reminding all road users to obey the rules of the road and take caution at all times.

“Motorcyclists and motorists must ensure they use proper protective equipment when traversing the roadways, and stick to the speed limits in the different areas. Pedestrians must remember to look right, then left, then right again, and use safe places to cross. They should also wear light or bright clothing at nights and walk facing the oncoming traffic,” she said.