Improving public awareness and action on road safety were the key objectives for Grennell’s Driving School as it executed the recently held ‘Crash Free 2023’ workshop in partnership with Red Stripe.

The event, hosted on Monday (January 23) at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, featured a National Safety Council (NSC) defensive driving workshop led by Grennell’s Driving School managing director Alphonso Grennell, with a ringing endorsement from Transport Minister Audley Shaw who delivered the keynote address.

“This workshop, like so many others before it, and no doubt, to come, is a conduit to disseminate the road safety message to different road users to bring about behaviour change. It is important that we refresh ourselves regularly on the driving techniques and be better road users”, noted Minister Shaw during his remarks.

“Road safety requires a comprehensive, combined approach from every Jamaican to ensure that no lives are lost due to traffic crashes. We must remember that the faster we drive, the longer it takes to stop and the greater the impact of the collision. I urge all motorists, motorcyclists, pedal-cyclists, and pedestrians to use the roads defensively and for your fellow road users. The onus is on all of us as road users to ensure that we are alert, patient and responsible whenever we use the roads,” added Shaw.

The workshop continued a longstanding partnership between Red Stripe and Grennell’s Driving School which have jointly advocated for ‘responsible living’ by applying safe driving techniques. Initiatives executed under the partnership include the Jamaica Driver & and Traffic Expo and, most recently, a defensive driving training course for Red Stripe employees.

“At Red Stripe, we believe that every one of us has a role to play in road safety – no one entity can do this alone. We all have to see this as central to our survival because what is happening on our roads is not sustainable. Indeed, sustainability is a core pillar of our business that we take very seriously,” asserted Red Stripe communications manager Tyheissa Williams.

Williams further noted, “Having had the benefit of Grennell’s defensive driving training myself, I can tell you that today’s participants are in for some solid content that will change how they navigate the roads. Beyond the content, it is my fervent hope that everyone will recommit to fighting this good fight, to do our part to make Jamaica a safer place for all of us, for generations to come.”

Given the severity of the situation in the traffic environment, Grennell is banking on what he hopes is a sense of urgency among road users.

“It was important for Grennell’s to plan the ‘Crash Free 2023’ workshop in light of the road safety crisis and fatalities over the last three to four years in Jamaica. This workshop is designed to train and equip our drivers with the requisite knowledge, attitude, and skills to avoid motor vehicle crashes”, remarked Grennell’s Driving School managing director.

He continued, “Today, we are preparing our drivers to operate responsibly, respectfully, safely and legally. When our drivers are defensively trained and apply the skills and knowledge, we will see an approximate 85 per cent reduction in crashes, which will consequently lead to a reduction in fatalities. We thank our partner Red Stripe for coming on board to support this initiative and the goal of reducing road accidents and fatalities throughout 2023.”

As part of their ongoing advocacy for road safety, Red Stripe also signed partnership agreements with ride-share companies Voy, Travellr Taxi and Quick Rides in November 2022 to provide safe shuttle services to partygoers throughout the festive season and beyond.