Children an endangered group
Montego Bay — A little over 12 percent of those who died in traffic accidents in the western end of the island between January 1 and November 2 of this year were children, a statistic that assistant police commissioner has described as “frightening”.
Over the past few weeks, as road safety month was being observed, the traffic police have been going to the island’s schools to warn children of the dangers they face.
“They have become almost an endangered group as a consequence of the reckless use of the roads and the disregard that motorists generally display as they use the road. The statistics available are frightening,” said Assistant Commissioner Charles Scarlett.
He was speaking at a road safety concert in Montego Bay on Thursday.
According to the traffic cop, there were 321 fatalities on the island’s roads up to November 2 of this year, with 58 occurring across the parishes of St James, Hanover, Westmoreland and Trelawny. Of the 58 persons who died in the west, four were boys and three were girls.
Armed with these alarming statistics, several state bodies have recently embarked on a campaign to sensitise young children on proper road usage. About 70 schools have already been visited and Thursday’s concert was a part of those efforts.
“We have a responsibility, as adults, to do all we can to reverse this dangerous trend,” Scarlett said. “I urge students to use the information they have learnt over the last couple of days to remind themselves, their parents and the drivers of those vehicles in which they are passengers, of the need to observe the rules of the road. Simple things like ensuring that seatbelts are worn, that they look out for pedestrians with more care. Because as I said earlier, we all have to move away from this cultural problem that seeks to excuse our own conduct. We have to take responsibility for ourselves. And what better stage to begin to appreciate that idea than at the student level.”
According to his figures, Westmoreland was the western parish with the most fatal accidents, with 23 but it was closely followed by St James at 20.