A $3-million donation of 50 breathalysers to the Jamaica Constabulary Force Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB) and a robust discussion among stakeholders were just two highlights of Red Stripe’s recent ‘Responsibility Now!’ Town Hall.

The event, hosted in partnership with the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica at the beer company’s Spanish Town Road brewery, explored avenues to promote responsible consumption and road safety.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Gary McKenzie, panellist and head of the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB), noted that road safety management has evolved in part due to a significant increase in vehicle ownership during the last decade. He also outlined the JCF’s renewed focus on curtailing drinking and driving as part of the ongoing efforts to improve road safety.

“During the past seven and a half years, we’ve seen an increase in registered vehicles of more than a 100 per cent. We see many crashes, particularly in urban areas, because people are speeding,” said McKenzie.

“While drinking and driving has not yet been proven to be a considerable contributor to the number of crashes, action to prevent drunk driving is a critical part of our road safety activities. The police can request a breath test if you are involved in a crash or if you are suspected to be under the influence of alcohol. When you consume alcohol, it has an immediate effect on your ability to drive safely. For some, the effect is considerable; for others, it’s minor, but your judgement is impaired, which can lead to accidents.”

In expressing appreciation for the donation of breathalysers, the ACP said it would help the police with enforcement efforts.

SPEEDING THE #1 CAUSE OF ROAD CRASHES IN JAMAICA

“We have already conducted over 12,000 breathalyser tests this year and intend to do much more because the number of tests shown by our data falls short of our targets. Therefore, we believe implementing the 50 breathalysers received today will play a significant part in our road management activities. It’s not that we do not want persons to enjoy the holiday season, but to do so responsibly.”

In addition to McKenzie, the panel of the Responsibility Now Town Hall included Island Traffic Authority Director Kenute Hare, Dream Entertainment Director PJ Wright and Jamaica Association of Transport Owners & Operation (JATOO) Vice-President Everton Style.

In his contribution, Hare shared: “Speeding is the number one cause of road crashes and death in Jamaica. There is a fundamental lack of patience on the roads today. Many people fail to realise that the faster you travel, the longer it will take to stop the vehicle if you need to. If you are distracted or intoxicated, this will further impair your ability to stop your car to avoid an collision. Public education will be critical to developing a safety culture, especially at the community level. We are also using legislation to drive the message home to people; the new Road Traffic Act allows for the suspension of your licence if you are caught under the influence of alcohol, which will be an excellent tool.”

Addressing the common complaint of public passenger vehicle conduct, the JATOO vice president suggested that improved public transport infrastructure could help to alleviate some of the problems faced by taxis.

“It’s a low-hanging fruit for the PPV sector to be targeted because we use the road more frequently and are visible to the regulators and therefore attract that attention. With no proper infrastructure to accommodate them, taxis use the main thoroughfare to conduct business. There are no real facilities to pick up or drop off passengers, so they use the roadsides and other areas that cause a nuisance to other drivers and put them in breach of the law. In many cases, taxis cannot alleviate the infringements they are being blamed for,” argued Style.

Regarding the role of entertainment stakeholders in promoting safe consumption during events, Wright noted that the message has been consistent with responsible drinking.

“Still, as promoters, I don’t think it is pushed as much as it should be. Our consumers are why we are in business, so we need to do more to make them aware of the harsh reality of what can happen to passengers if the driver is intoxicated. Coming into the yuletide season, we must look for ways to promote the designated driver concept; we have parking space constraints at events which should be even more of an incentive for promoters to take an interest in ridesharing solutions. Promoters need to get creative; we can offer complimentary tickets for designated drivers to help generate interest among our patrons.”

In anticipation of the festive season, Red Stripe announced an extension of its ‘Get Home Responsibly’ campaign, which will see the company partnering with three ride sharing companies – Voy, Quick Rides and Travelr Taxi, to provide designated drivers to and from brand-sponsored events. The memoranda of understanding, which were signed at the Responsibility Now town hall, will run through to the end of 2023 and provide discounts and free rides for consumers through activations on Red Stripe corporate social media channels.