KINGSTON, Jamaica —The Road Safety Unit has reported that a total of four people were killed in motor vehicle crashes within the first four days of the new year.

Three were pedestrians and the other a motorcyclist, according to statistics from the unit.

In the latest incident, an unidentified man was hit by a Nissan Ad wagon, when he allegedly walked into the path of the oncoming vehicle, which was driving along Hugh Miller Boulevard in St Andrew about 6:50 pm Tuesday.

It is reported that the driver assisted him to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The police are yet to identify the deceased. Anyone with information that can assist the lawmen is being urged to contact the Halfway Tree Police Station at 926 8184/5, police 119 emergency number or the nearest police station.

Meanwhile, road fatalities as of January 5 are a reduction when compared to the same period in 2016, when a total of 10 road users were killed in traffic crashes.

The Road Safety Unit said fatalities for 2017 are projected to decrease by 15 per cent when compared with 2016.

Director of the Road Safety Unit, Kenute Hare is cautioning that safety in the road environment should not only be the responsibility of drivers/motorists but that pedestrians should also be similarly concerned.

Pedestrians account for 75 per cent of the road users killed, the unit noted.

“We recognise that many persons mistakenly place all the responsibility of safety in the traffic space on persons who operate motor vehicles; this is not to be. Pedestrians and other vulnerable road users such as the elderly and children should operate in such a way so that motorists are able to see them easily as they go about on the roads,” Hare said.

He encouraged motorists to look out for cyclists and pedestrians who may be obscured by other vehicles while they are on the roads.

The call comes especially as the nation seeks to meet the target of below 300 fatalities on the roads this year.