With road fatalities increasing this year over last year, raising alarm amongst road safety stakeholders, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has issued instructions for the long-awaited implementation of the new Road Traffic Act to be implemented no later than December 2021.

Holness issued a number of other instructions yesterday during a meeting with the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) as well as the other relevant stakeholders concerned with achieving islandwide road safety.

According to data from the NRSC up to yesterday, there was a 19 per cent increase in road deaths compared to the corresponding period last year. Two hundred and forty-seven people were killed on the island’s roads in motor vehicle crashes up to yesterday, compared to 207 over the same period last year. There was also an increase in the death of motorcyclists this year over last. Eighty-eight of the 247 deaths involved motorcycle crashes this year, compared to 66 over the same period last year.

Among the other items of importance outlined by the prime minister was that the chairman of the NRSC will formally adopt as policy a safe systems approach to reducing road traffic injuries and deaths.

The meeting was also promised that at least one aspect of an improved ticketing system will become operational by August. And an announcement should be made soon on how to make stretches of roads on the north coast, where fatal crashes are frequent, much safer for the motoring public.

Participants in yesterday’s meeting considered the need to follow examples set by other countries and develop, with oversight from the Bureau of Standards Jamaica, importation guidelines to ensure better braking systems are fitted on motorbikes which has been shown to reduce crashes, especially electronic stability control technology. Also discussed was the introduction of more efficient usage of breathalysers to capture the approximately 30 per cent of drivers who have been shown to be driving under the influence of alcohol.

Dr Parris Lyew-Ayee Jr, director of the Mona Geoinfomatics Institute at The University of the West Indies, Mona, said yesterday that he was encouraged by the Holness’s commitment to have the new Road Traffic Act passed by December 31, 2021.

The projection for year-end, according to Lyew-Ayee Jr, is that the number of road fatalities could very well exceed 480.

“I am happy he said that [the new law is to take effect in December]. That is critical. If I would give you one sentence, that would be: ‘It’s about time.’ I know the process has to get approval at various levels, but it is still taking long, so I am glad the prime minister said enough is enough.”

Lyew-Ayee pointed out that 66 people have died on the roads during lockdown and curfew hours since the start of 2021.

“The reality is that somebody is dying on the road every 18 hours and 11 minutes. Road fatalities have been consistently climbing, with no bending of any curve. Nothing has been done fundamentally since March 31 last year and this year. The issue may not be one of enforcement alone, but also engineering and education,” he said.