The vice-chairman of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC), Dr Lucien Jones, is urging Jamaicans to adhere to the rules of the road to reduce road crashes and deaths as the number of road fatalities surpass the 400 mark before the end of the year.
“We count each life as precious. Last year this time it was about 461, so we are down… but that gives us no comfort because far too many people have died in our
country,” he said.
According to data from the Road Safety Unit (RSU), the parishes of Westmoreland, St Catherine, and St Andrew accounted for the highest number of fatalities, to date, while males accounted for 88 per cent of the fatalities.
Pedestrians and private motor-vehicle drivers each account for 18 per cent of the road users killed since the start of the year; private motor-vehicle passengers, 11 per cent; motorcyclists, 32 per cent; commercial motor-vehicle passengers, two per cent; pedal cyclists, five per cent; public passenger vehicle drivers, two per cent; pillion passengers, four per cent; public passenger vehicle passengers, five per cent; vulnerable
road users (pedestrians, pedal cyclists, motorcyclists and pillion), 59 per cent; and passengers, 23 per cent.
Jones said excessive speeding, overtaking carelessly and people failing to keep left are the main causes for accidents and deaths.
“Those are the three main reasons, plus pedestrians who are not using the road carefully. So, we are saying to the entire driving public and those who are using the roads, just slow down,” he said.
“If you slow down, lives will be saved; if you slow down, you will escape getting a fine, which is now a hefty fine, and you might have demerit points attached to your licence as a driver, and if you don’t pay the fine or you don’t go to court, you can have a warrant executed on you for your arrest,” he added.
He further implored motorists to desist from driving under the influence of alcohol, especially during the festive season.
“This is a season when people tend to be drinking alcohol. If you’re going to a party, have a designated driver, make sure that that person stays alcohol-free so that they can take you home,” he said.
“Driving under the influence of alcohol is a very dangerous thing. It slows your reflexes; it makes you unable to stay in your lane, which is a major issue, and people tend to crash much more often when you’re under the influence of alcohol. The same thing goes for ganja – do not smoke ganja and drive; it’s a mind-altering substance. It will make you crash and you can die or suffer serious injuries,” he added.
Jones is also urging motorists to always wear their seatbelts while driving, likewise issuing a similar caution to motorcyclists to wear their helmets.
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