23 in 20 days
THE National Road Safety Council (NRSC) is reporting that 20 fatal road collisions occurred on our nation’s roads during the first 20 days of 2016.
A total of 22 individuals have died in these crashes. This figure represents an increase of 29 per cent in comparison to fatal road crashes occurring in the first 20 days of 2015 and 2014. There were 17 fatal collisions and 17 deaths as a result of road crashes in 2015 and 2014 in the first 20 days.
“We are highly concerned about the figure of road crashes which occurred on the roads of our nation in the first 20 days of the year. Of this figure, 13 were on motorbikes,” said Paula Fletcher, executive director of the NRSC.
“In spite of the gains of 2012, the nation is currently experiencing a spike in road fatalities. In 2015, motorcyclists for the first time have exceeded pedestrian fatalities. The majority of the motorcyclists who died were not wearing helmets,” Fletcher continued.
For 2015, the statistics shows that a total of 380 people died, while 111 were on motorbikes. By comparison, there were 65 individuals who lost their lives in motorbike crashes in 2014, and 56 in 2013.
“We are highly concerned about this extraordinary spike in persons who die as a result of motorbike crashes. This concern is compounded by the fact that most of these motorcycle drivers were from the western section of the island. In this area, motorcycles are increasingly being used as a preferred form of transportation, and motorcycle taxis predominate as an accepted form of transportation in communities,” said Fletcher.
The NRSC exec said when policemen try to educate riders and prosecute those who ride without helmets and are operating in contravention of the law, community members have been known to hurl stones at the cops who are trying to uphold the law.
“Often when the police confiscate the motorcycles, the owners do not return for them,” she said.
In response to this, the National Road Safety Council is organising a major initiative involving collaboration with major stakeholders to counter this problem. It will include training and licencing of motorcycle drivers as well as community intervention. Additionally, helmets of the approved standard will be handed out to these drivers. The first such activity took place in December 2015 in Negril where helmets were handed out, and will continue in 2016 with wider involvement of other stakeholders.
Fletcher is calling on all road users to aim for a downward trend for 2016.
“We must return to a downward trend in fatalities, as the aim is to go below 240 under the national ‘Below 240’ programme for 2013 to 2016,” she said.