During the week August 28-September 3, according to police reports, 17 persons have been killed on Jamaica’s roads, mainly due to careless driving with motorists failing to keep to the left. In two of the cases the drivers failed to stop. This brings the number of road fatalities to 217 since the start of this year, compared to 203 over the same period in 2013.
The National Road Safety Council is horrified at this sudden surge in road fatalities, and sympathises with the bereaved families, especially those grieving the loss of a mother and child in one crash which occurred in the early morning of Wednesday September 3.
“This situation calls for urgent action,” said Dr Jones. “First by the police to ramp up significantly their campaign to reduce speeding and careless driving across the island. Secondly by the Government to supply the traffic division of the JCF with the resources needed to clamp down on reckless drivers; speed guns, motor cycles and motor cars. Thirdly by the private sector to provide the NRSC with additional resources, and together with the funds provided by the GOJ through the NHF, assist the NRSC in ramping up considerably the kind of public education required to deal with this grave national problem.”
In addition Mrs. Paula Fletcher, Executive Director of the NRSC is urging all parents and teachers to be particularly vigilant in ensuring that children, especially during the back to school period, are properly supervised whilst traversing our roads. “Please observe carefully and use the information provided by the NRSC in the media,” she exhorted.
Dr Jones appealed: “Finally, all citizens need to be eternally vigilant in encouraging road users to exercise due care in how we drive, ride and walk on the nation’s roads, in order that we may achieve the target of BELOW 240 road fatalities. This is the only way we can prevent the grief and pain and anguish resulted from these tragic losses.