THE practice of pedestrians and pedal cyclists using Jamaica’s roads without exercising due care, and many times as if they are invincible, is concerning to road safety stakeholders.

On Monday, two of the stakeholders were guests at the Jamaica Observer’s Monday Exchange forum at the newspaper’s Beechwood Avenue offices in St Andrew, where they expressed the need for increased sensitisation of the public on the issue.

Colonel Daniel Pryce, director general of the Island Traffic Authority (ITA), told editors and reporters that a big problem exists specifically with pedestrians, where many of them are frequently distracted even when attempting to cross busy streets.

Of the 142 road fatalities occurring in Jamaica between January 1 and May 13 this year, pedestrians accounted for 32 deaths or 23 per cent.

“One of the big causes is distraction. People are walking and texting and persons step off the pavement onto the roadway. I do see the [don’t care] attitude. You just need to go to the corner of Constant Spring Road and South Odeon Avenue. They don’t adhere to the lights,” he said.

“I recall being in Austria where it was bitterly cold for me. The traffic lights indicate when the pedestrian can cross. I watched these people and even when there is no car coming, they are not crossing until that icon comes up to tell them that they can cross. We have a problem with that and that is why we are taking a scientific approach to start getting in the minds of the people about their attitude especially about their attitude in public spaces. They need to recognise that they have a responsibility when traversing those spaces,” Pryce added, while sharing that the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport has special programme currently focused on pedestrians.

Victor Anderson, programme co-ordinator at the National Road Safety Council, highlighted that even when the authorities go to lengths to put systems in place to protect pedestrians, they still engage in risky behaviours when using the roads.

“I was in this room about 10 years ago and the point was made that the way the [traffic] lights were sequenced, it had pedestrians moving on one leg and traffic moving on another leg. Traffic was coming down Constant Spring Road and when they wanted to turn up Suthermere Road, for example and the pedestrians begged because traffic was turning. The rules are that you must wait until the pedestrians cross and so on but there was conflict.

“Pedestrians begged for the thing to be changed. I was in this very room when the National Works Agency (NWA) said, yes, they would make that change. The change was made so that there was absolutely no traffic movement when the pedestrian are supposed to move so that the pedestrians can walk freely but they are still crossing when they are not supposed to cross. The authorities listened and made the change but the pedestrians are not cooperating,” Anderson bemoaned.

He pointed out that Jamaica doesn’t have a law that acts as a deterrent for jaywalking, which has to do with pedestrians crossing streets outside of places designated for crossing.

“The law prescribes how pedestrians are supposed to walk but there are no sanctions. I think when the law was reviewed, it was about 2015 or 2016, the decision was taken that pedestrians would not be penalised because the pedestrian facilities are not in place. In their wisdom, the parliamentarians said they would not apply a sanction although a sanction was recommended in the Bill. They said we can’t yet as a State provide all the facilities needed. That’s where it stands at the moment,” he said.

Making specific reference to pedal cyclists, Anderson said the correct way for them to ride is as close to the left curb as possible and certainly not out in the middle of a road.

“They certainly shouldn’t be going in the opposite direction to the rest of the traffic. Frequently we see them come up the middle of two or three lanes of traffic going in one direction and they are coming in the opposite direction between the two lanes of traffic as if they are made of superior material,” he said.

Colonel Pryce highlighted that for the United Nation’s (UN) Global Road Safety Week, which is being observed from May 12 to 18, the theme is ‘Streets for Life, Making Walking and Cycling Safe’.

“As the theme suggests, the emphasis is on pedestrians and pedal cyclists. Last year we lost 69 pedestrians and 15 pedal cyclists on our roads and up to May 12, 2025, we have lost 32 pedestrians and 10 pedal cyclists. It is important to note that within the Jamaican context, motorcycle-related fatalities remain the highest among road users.

“The ITA encourages pedestrians to use safe places to cross such as pedestrian crossings at the traffic light and a pedestrian bridge. Never cross on corners, on toll roads, or from behind and in front of large vehicles, and please wear bright and reflective clothing at nights. For pedal cyclists and motor cyclists, they should wear an approved helmet and other protective gear. They should observe traffic lights and stop signs and do not hold on to vehicles. Equip your bicycles with reflectors and/or wear reflective clothing,” Pryce implored.

In the meantime, Pryce shared that motorcyclists continue to account for a large portion of road fatalities. He pointed out that in 2024, 122 motor cyclists and 12 pillion passengers lost their lives in fatal crashes. Between January 1 and May 12 this year, 40 motorcyclists and five pillion passengers were killed on our roads.

“It is important to note that within the Jamaican context, motorcycle-related fatalities remain the highest among road users. The ITA, through its public education initiative, ‘Stay Alive’, seeks to promote safe road usage through various initiatives and these include certified helmet distribution, road safety sensitisation in educational institutions, and an online series dubbed ‘Braking Point’ which highlights top crash hot spots according to our statistics. We also do sensitisation sessions with drivers and companies that have a fleet of drivers.”