Double-digit decreases in road deaths and fatal crashes so far this year have won the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) commendations from Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness and his deputy Dr Horace Chang.

At the same, time Holness, who chairs the National Road Safety Council (NRSC), reiterated that the police will be taking a zero-tolerance approach to people who drive while intoxicated and revealed that the alcohol limit for driving under the influence is under review.

“It’s important to state that the road safety council is in the process of contemplating what should be the limit for drink-driving. The idea is that that limit should be lower than it is,” he stated at Thursday’s NRSC meeting at which the police were presented with 40 additional breathalyser instruments and speed laser detectors by a representative of the Pan American Health Organization.

“We’re advising the public that the Government is increasing its capabilities to be able to check drivers for drink-driving and, in the future, the threshold to be considered driving under the influence would be lowered,” the prime minister added.

According to the latest daily traffic crash report released by the Island Traffic Authority (ITA) on April 17, the number of fatalities is down 21 per cent for the period January 1 to April 17, 2025 when compared to the similar period last year. This is 28 fewer deaths this year when compared to 2024.

At the same time, the ITA is reporting that fatal crashes are down 19 per cent January 1 to April 17, 2025 when compared with the same period in 2024.

While noting that it is still “early days yet”, Holness commended the police for the “significant” decrease in road fatalities.

The prime minister said it was important that, as the Government implements new policies and considers the implementation of new policies, “we bring the public into the understanding so that there can be behaviour change without enforcement, because that is the objective”.

He noted that it was the same approach that was taken before implementation of the new ticketing system which, he said, has resulted in fewer deaths on the nation’s roads.

He told the meeting that his Administration was moving towards becoming a more data-driven Government in terms of its analysis and decision-making. “And so, we will be deeply analysing what would be contributing factors to the reduction [in road fatalities]”.

The prime minister also noted that the data point to a concentration of traffic crashes in some parishes; namely St Catherine, Westmoreland, St Andrew, and St Ann.

“We note that some of the multiple fatality accidents are occurring at a particular time in the day — early morning, [and] — we continue to observe that drink-driving is a cause and speeding, without taking into consideration road conditions.

“We use the opportunity to appeal to Jamaicans, use our roads with great caution and care, and to think not just of yourself, but the other road users,” said Holness.

Meanwhile, head of the JCF’s Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch Acting Commissioner of Police Gary McKenzie, who accepted the breathalyser instruments, said: “I believe that this new addition to that which we have already will make a significant difference. I believe that we all recognise that road safety is very important, and breathalyser instruments in particular are tools that will enable us to ensure that we monitor effectively, the driving habits on our roads.”

Dr Chang, who is also national security minister, in lauding the JCF for the reduction in road fatalities, said, “We’re far from declaring victory, but we’re moving in the right direction.”

Chang noted that for the first time in the last seven years, the 100-road fatalities mark was recorded in April. That number was reached on April 5, whereas in previous years, 100 road deaths were recorded as early as March 11.

“We have pushed this back by nearly a month. Many factors have contributed to this,” Chang said, while pointing out that the trend started in the third quarter of last year when a 14 per cent decline was recorded, and has continued into 2025 with fatalities down 21 per cent.

He emphasised that while the efforts were bearing fruit, “we’re still losing more than one Jamaican per day. Thirty-five lives have been lost in the last 30 days, so even with progress being made, more work remains”.

Chang also cited that road traffic data from the ITA “makes it clear that the burden of road deaths is not shared equally”. Motorcyclists and pedestrians account for more than half the number of road users killed so far this year.

Yet, he highlighted that motorcyclists’ deaths have declined by 37 per cent so far this year, when compared to the similar period in 2024. He also pointed out that St Andrew, St Ann, St Catherine, and Westmoreland account for more than 40 per cent of the road deaths this year.

Chang pointed to excessive speeding without regard to road conditions and failure to keep to the proper lane as being responsible for most fatalities.

To keep fatalities down, Chang said “enforcement must remain firm, public education must be unrelenting, and road design must be smart”.

This file photo shows Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness (left) and National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang in discussion before the start of a news conference at Jamaica House. Both men commended the police on Thursday for the significant decrease in road fatalities. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)