WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — Transport and Mining Minister, Lester ‘Mike’ Henry, will embark on a tour of crash hotspots in the western end of the island tomorrow.

Areas to be toured include Orange Bay in Hanover, Negril Spot in Negril, Little London and Sheffield in Westmoreland.

During the visit, Henry is expected to meet with motorcycle taxi operators as well as other stakeholders who are most affected by road crashes in these areas.

The minister, in a release today, said that he has decided to tackle the “monster of road traffic crashes which have resulted in the loss of productive lives over the years” and that he is in the process of briefing himself regarding the current knowledge about the magnitude, risk factors and impact of road traffic injuries, as well as ways to prevent and lessen their impact on the society.

“Our interventions must incorporate a broad range of activities, such as development and management of road infrastructure, the provision of safer vehicles, law enforcement, mobility planning as well as the provision of urban and environmental planning,” the minister explained.

According to statistics from the Road Safety Unit, 379 people were killed on the nation’s roads last year, a significant number of whom were motorcyclists from the western end of the island.

The ministry noted that 19 fatalities have already occurred since the start of 2017, which is once again putting in jeopardy the target of having below three hundred persons perishing from the effects of motor vehicle crashes for the year.