WITH an increase in the number of motor vehicles on the nation’s roads there is growing need for roadside assistance due to escalating risks facing motorists, the Jamaica Automobile Association (JAA) has said.

“Breakdowns and accidents occur anytime and happen anywhere,” stated JAA operations manager, Duane Ellis.

According to Ellis, trained and qualified JAA personnel are able to assist motorists in distress anywhere in the island.

He cited a number of elements that contribute to road risks, including poor road conditions, poor driving habits, and defective vehicles, and said these growing risks are individually and collectively leading to more crashes.

“Given the many risks we know motorists face, the JAA provides a highly qualified team of technicians who can perform very basic to highly complex tasks,” Ellis said.

“The JAA’s response technicians can operate all standard forms of land transportation, including motorcycles, and are qualified automotive technicians…and the majority are internationally certified.”

Ellis added that these highly trained technicians are located in all parishes, and respond promptly to emergency calls from stranded motorists anywhere in the island.

“The association’s 24/7 call centre handles calls with dispatch, and maintains a link between the motorist and the technician, as well as security, if necessary,” he told Auto.

“Members of the response team will manage every aspect of road emergency, from assessing security concerns on the spot, coordinating transportation of a disabled vehicle to a garage; providing medical assistance, to diagnosing electrical and mechanical problems with the vehicle,” Ellis explained.

Accident scene reconstruction is also a capability all response technicians possess, in order to assist with crash investigations, he added.

Between January and September last year, there were 6,934 road traffic accidents, according to statistics from the Jamaica Constabulary Force Traffic Division; and approximately 255 people died as a result, the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) reported.

“The JAA gave me assurance,” stated Jennifer Jones, an IT specialist, who was recently involved in a road crash while on her way home from church on a Sunday afternoon in November last year.

“My husband and I were on our way home on the Portmore Toll Road when it began to rain. Our vehicle developed a skid and the car got out of control and crashed into a median before coming to a halt in the middle of the road,” Jones recalled.

She said that they carefully drove the car onto the soft shoulder and made a phone call to the JAA Call Centre and less than 10 minutes, a response technician arrived to assist.

“He then took us to the police station to report the incident and waited until we were ready to take the car to a garage of our choice,” said Jones.

Prominent psychologist, Dr Leahcim Semaj, also has a similar testimony about the service he received from the JAA, said Ellis.

According to Ellis, Semaj was en route to St Ann with his wife about 9:00 pm on New Year’s Eve when their sports utility vehicle broke down in the Bog Walk Gorge. The vehicle lost its fan belt and began to overheat.

“It was New Year’s Eve, therefore I wasn’t sure how long they would take to respond after I called,” the psychologist said. “But within 20 minutes the technician arrived and shortly after the wrecker also came, so it was very efficient,” he said, commending the service.

The vehicle was placed on the wrecker and the couple and their vehicle were transported to their mechanic in Kingston. “They even offered to provide us with security on the scene,” Dr Semaj recalled.

“The JAA Call Centre is always ready to accept calls, and can dispatch a security team to your assistance if necessary,” Ellis remarked.

In addition to its roadside assistance, Ellis told Auto that the JAA also offers a number of other services and products to enhance the motoring experience, including GPS navigation systems, available from its Central Avenue office across from the Motor Vehicle Examination Depot in Swallowfield, St Andrew.