The National Road Safety Council (NRSC) is lamenting the shortage of ambulances and an absence of established protocols to assists victims of traffic crashes across the island.

“Currently there is no dedicated ambulance service or single emergency toll-free number for ambulance/fire/police, which persons, or even the authorities, can contact for assistance in the event of a road crash,” executive director of the NRSC, Paula Fletcher, declared this week.

Fletcher noted that her organisation was currently working with other state agencies with the view of establishing efficient emergency response services for persons who are injured in traffic crashes.

“There is a shortage of ambulances in the public health system and those that exist are used to transfer patients between hospitals,” said Fletcher. “Approximately six ambulances, for emergency response, are in the western section of the island and are operated by the Fire Services. These ambulances were acquired prior to the hosting of World Cup Cricket in 2007,” Fletcher added.

She insisted that there is an urgent need for an adequate number of ambulances to be assigned to respond to road crashes island-wide.

Fletcher also underlined the necessity for a designated emergency telephone number “to activate response from the police, fire department and ambulance services for injured persons at the scene of a road crash.”

The NRSC is this year also batting for the development of an electronic surveillance system to monitor traffic offenses.

According to the NRSC head, the system would be used to detect breaches of certain road regulations, such as the breaking of the traffic lights, as well as speeding. Fletcher said this week that the policy and legislative framework for the electronic surveillance system is currently being prepared.

“The NRSC believes the use of technology has to be the way forward, as a policeman cannot be on every stretch of roadway,” Fletcher argued. “Additionally, its use will reduce the human element in the observance of the law, making it less vulnerable to corrupt practices such as bribery and negotiation,” she added.

In the meantime, head of the Police Traffic Division, Senior Superintendent Radcliffe Lewis has expressed the view that last year’s reduction in traffic crashes was due mainly to the increased police presence on the roads and the heightened awareness generated by the NRSC’s road safety public education campaign.

There was a 9.8 per cent decline in road fatalities in 2010 when compared with the previous year.

Lewis reported that the police’s vigilance on the road was increased during the Christmas period and this increased visibility will be continuing island-wide this year.

“We will definitely be monitoring the behaviour on the roads through more police presence. Spot checks and speed checks will be increased,” said Lewis.

He emphasised that crash-prone areas of Clarendon, St Elizabeth and Westmoreland will be particularly targeted in January.

Of particular interest to the police are loud music and tinting of public passenger vehicles.

“The police will be prosecuting those motorists who violate regulations having to do with tinting their vehicles and the acceptable level at which music should be played,” said Lewis. “We will not be tolerating the loud music on vehicles,” he added.

In the meantime, pedestrians continue to top road fatalities as since the start of the year, there have been four fatal crashes and nine fatalities seven of which are pedestrians, according to data from the Road Safety Unit.

Last year 116 pedestrians were killed out total 310 traffic fatalities.