THE Sandals, Beaches and Grand Pineapple Resorts in Negril last Friday hosted a ‘Motorcycle Safety Awareness’ session in the Negril town centre amidst concerns about the increase in the number of motorcycle accidents in Westmoreland and Hanover.

The initiative was a cpollaboration with the Negril Police and Fire Department as part of Sandals Resorts International’s efforts to impact change, increase safety awareness among bikers and reduce road accidents and fatalities. More than 20 motorcyclists participated and were sensitized about emergency first response after an accident, defensive riding, and general road safety.

District Officer Andre Fullwood, who was on hand to share information about first-aid with the motorcyclists, stated that “Negril has a large influx of motorbikes so this was a well needed venture.”

“A lot of bikers are not equipped with knowledge of the safety measures necessary for taking care of themselves and their passengers; whether it relates to the most timely life-saving decision after an accident or otherwise,” he said. “The Negril Fire Department is committed to providing more in-depth information and we hope these road users will capitalise on the opportunity we are extending to them to receive further safety training and share it with others in the wider community.”

Terron Connell, a motorcyclist from Negril, was grateful for the intervention. “It was a good session and we really learnt a lot from it, such as ways to stop bleeding and the right things to mention when requesting emergency assistance. This should be done more often,” he remarked.

In addition to receiving medical advice from the fire department, the bikers also benefitted from road safety tips provided by the police; these included proper road usage and defensive riding mechanisms. “We have been trying to reduce the number of motorcycle accidents resulting from speeding and illegal modes of travel; many ‘bike taxis’ are operating illegally or where they are licensed to carry one pillion passenger, many carry three or four. This further endangers the lives of citizens. We are grateful for this collaborative effort with Sandals as we seek to address some of these issues and encourage better use of the roads,” stated Constable Junior Chin, traffic officer at the Negril Police Station.

Several bike rental companies such as Prento Bike & Car Rental, Gas Bike Rental, Wassi Bike Rental and Conrod Bike Rental, also supported the programme by donating motorcycle paraphernalia and safety gears such as helmets, tubes, indicators and reflectors for the motorcyclists.

Commenting on the initiative, Sandals Negril General Manager Andre Dhanpaul said, “We saw the dire need for such an intervention and are grateful to the police and fire department as well as the bike rental companies which partnered with us to make this a reality. We look forward to sustaining these partnerships as we seek to continue playing our part to help save lives and make a difference in our community.”

This activity is the first of several, as the Sandals team plans to schedule further safety sessions for motorcyclists in other sections of Westmoreland and Hanover. According to the police traffic division, since the start of the year, motorcycle fatalities have increased by 67 per cent when compared to last year and the Road Safety Unit has raised concerns about the behaviour of motorcyclists particularly in Westmoreland and Hanover where motorcycles are being used as public passenger vehicles.