KINGSTON, Jamaica — As road fatalities climb to 152 people since the start of the year, the Road Safety Unit is appealing to all road users to wear their seatbelts, helmets and other protective devices and to pay close attention to road signs and markings.

Director of the Road Safety Unit, Kenute Hare, is urging all road users to take road safety seriously.

He said majority of our road crashes are related to bad driving practices.

Statistics from the Unit revealed that as of June 11, 2018, there has been 130 fatal crashes.

This is compared to 155 road fatalities from 144 road accidents last year.

Of that group, 32 were motorcyclists, 11 pedal cyclists, seven pillion, while 29 were drivers of private motor vehicles, 27 were passengers of private motor vehicle, four public passenger vehicle (PPV) passengers, five commercial motor car passengers, two PPV drivers, three commercial motor car drivers and 32 pedestrians.

So far, St Catherine accounted for 22 per cent of road users killed, the most in any one parish since the start of the year.

Hare is also encouraging drivers/motorists who transport passengers, to ensure that they do so safely by enforcing the wearing of seatbelts. Pedestrians and pedal cyclists are also advised to wear bright coloured clothing at nights, and use reflective gears to ensure they can be seen at all times.

Pedal cyclists should also wear clothing that will make them more visible to other road users, especially in the nights.