There are three factors that are responsible for more than half of the 403 fatal motor vehicle crashes that have claimed 450 lives in Jamaica up to Thursday, December 16 according to the Road Safety Unit [RSU].

According to the Unit, “proceeding at excessive speed with no regards to [road] conditions” was responsible for 118 deaths so far this year. Ninety-one persons died in 2020 and 105 in 2019 following crashes caused by speeding.

Also, the RSU said 95 people have died this year as a result ”failing to keep to the near side [of the road] or to the proper traffic lane” while 83 died in 2020 and 92 in 2019 for the similar traffic violation.

The third main cause of road fatalities relates to pedestrians “walking or standing in the road”. There have been 35 such deaths recorded so far this year while there were 31 and 47 such fatalities in 2020 and 2019 respectively. Some 89 pedestrians have been killed on the nation’s roads this year. This compares to the 86 killed in 2020 and 106 who perished during the corresponding period in 2019.

The RSU is urging drivers to “give the gift of safety this Christmas” by cutting speed and adhering to the rules of the road.