As part of measures to curb indiscipline on the roads, the Government is moving to acquire more breathalysers, with support from the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF).

“They will strengthen our support around our breathalyser programme, so that we can do more testing. Also, we are doing some work to map out our crash hotspots, so that we can put in preventative interventions,” said Floyd Green, minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister.

Green made the statement during the delivery of his keynote address at a defensive driving workshop held on Monday (April 17) at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston. He said that the machines will aid the renewed road-safety campaign to save lives.

A breath alcohol test, or breathalyser, measures how much alcohol is in the air that a person breathes out. The device uses that measurement to estimate how much alcohol is in the blood and can then be used to produce court evidence.

Green shared that the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) is currently hearing concerns on the New Road Safety Act and called for persons to put forward their suggestions by writing to [email protected]. He said that the group is open to making adjustments that are necessary. 

“The Act is in force and has to be obeyed so that we can reduce and eliminate deaths on our nation’s roads,” he told the audience.

Green pointed out that road crashes place a great burden on the health sector, particularly the cost, and is “an urgent priority that we have to address”.

Up to Thursday (April 13), 122 persons had died from 110 fatal collisions.

“All our road crashes can be prevented. We have to change our behaviour on the roads,” he emphasised.

The workshop was organised by Grennell’s Driving School, which has a goal to improve driving skills and to create safer roads across the country.

The UNRSF was created to finance actions in low and middle-income countries to substantially reduce deaths and injuries from road crashes and to reduce economic losses resulting from these crashes. 

Read related stories at the links below:

Road safety remains a goal of the Transport Ministry

Boys in high school to benefit from Road Safety Education in Schools Programme

Increased breath testing, new road rules and event ridesharing among road safety solutions explored at ‘Responsibility Now!’ Town Hall

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