Transport Minister, Mike Henry is expected today to update the international community on Jamaica’s efforts at reducing deaths and injuries on the nation’s roads.

Henry heads a five-man delegation in the first Global Ministerial Road Safety Conference, held in Moscow Russia on November 19 and 20.

Road fatalities in Jamaica have declined from a high of 408 in 2002 to 343 last year.

Traffic fatalities for 2009 is now 289 with six weeks remaining in the year.

The transport minister recently expressed concern that road fatalities remain a major public health issue, despite the marked reduction in road fatalities.

“Despite the decline in fatalities, provisional data indicates that the number of people attending accident and emergency units at Government hospitals, consequent to motor vehicle accidents, has risen nearly 40 per cent,” Henry said.

Elaborating on the strain placed on the health sector by road accidents, the transport minister cited the example of Kingston Public Hospital, which has estimated that on the basis of cost data derived in 2002, the average cost of treating each motor vehicle crash victim was $12,962. He pointed out that the cost of injuries exceeded the costs of caring for people with obstetric and gynaecological concerns, cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses or psychiatric disorders.

Henry also indicated that a new Road Traffic Act will come on stream shortly that will include a definition of school zones.

According to Henry, these areas will require a reduction in speed by motorists. In addition, it is proposed that the new act will also allow for the adoption of an international standard for tyre tread depth and will specify the car window tint level for private vehicles, among other changes

In the meantime, the world’s fastest man, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, is endorsing the Moscow conference and is giving strong backing to the global world safety “Make Roads Safe” campaign.

“Road Safety is in our hands! Speed belongs on the racetrack, not on our roadways,” is Bolt’s tagline in the road safety promotion.