431 road fatalities and counting… 40 more expected to lose their lives in December
Vanassa McKenzie / Our Today
editor
Dr Parris Lyew-Ayee, vice president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), says the total number of road fatalities for the year has already hit 431 and is expected to see a significant increase next month, rounding out the year at an estimated 473 deaths.
During a press briefing today (November 30), Lyew-Ayee said that “with 32 days left in the year, that 470 figure means that there are 40 [plus] people who are alive now, who will be dead in 32 days’ time.”
November saw 45 people dying from road fatalities said Lyew-Aye, making it the third highest month for road fatalities after May and July, respectively.
According to data provided by the PSOJ, some of the hotspots for road fatalities include the north-south highway corridor and the Bustamante Highway to May Pen.
Lyew-Ayee said motorists are the number one victims of road fatalities in Jamaica for the year 2022.
He also noted that the main causes of road fatalities can be categorised into behavioural and engineering elements.
“What we need to be able to understand is that there is this very complex environmental affair which can be boiled down into two main categories. We have a behavioral element. People just can’t behave; you see taxis overtaking lines of traffic etc. It’s just indiscipline on the roads. But the other one is engineering, road markings, road lightings, road designs, drainage all of those elements.”
Dr Parris Lyew-Ayee, Vice president of the Private sector organization of Jamaica
Lyew-Ayee said the impending implementation of the new Road Traffic Act will be very important in achieving road safety outcomes.
The new Road Traffic Act was tabled in Parliament in February of this year and is aimed at ensuring that new traffic rules are implemented to ensure safety on the roadways.
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