Traffic deaths
MANY MOTORISTS are not listening to road safety appeals and continue to be reckless in how they use the roadways. This explains, in part, why we have recorded more than 420 road fatalities so far this year. Suddenly, there is panic in society as the numbers race to near-record levels and relatives and friends count their loss.
There is rank indiscipline on our roads. Technological improvements have made motor vehicles generally safer and the road surface has improved in many areas, yet there are more crashes than ever.
For a start, public passenger vehicles do not observe the rules of the road, putting their passengers and other road users in imminent danger. Motorcyclists are often without protective gear, such as helmets, and they break all the established rules of the road. Speeding, improper overtaking and distracted driving continue to be some of the factors blamed for accidents.
Surely, the leadership of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), and the Traffic Division in particular, must be thinking about how they can better serve and protect the Jamaican people in the coming year. Maintaining traffic safety and efficiency cannot mean setting up a few speed traps in predictable spots, or having a group of police officers huddled together at a busy intersection during peak hours. The presence of the uniformed policeman or woman no longer acts as a deterrent to potential lawbreakers.
We submit that the general recklessness that is evident on the roads of Jamaica is a symptom of the social instability that is occurring in some parts of the country. It is almost impossible to navigate some of the busiest thoroughfares without encountering obstructions and infractions of one kind or another.
No one seems to be enforcing the rules of the road. Is it the Traffic Division or the Island Traffic Authority that is in control of the roads of the country? Perhaps the time has come to bring the Traffic Division of the JCF into the 21st century. It could begin by assigning a top brass officer to lead the team with a mandate to strictly address the infractions that occur on a daily basis.
We are aware that the police cannot be at every intersection and monitor all roads. This is why there is electronic surveillance. How has the Traffic Department used the expensively installed cameras at intersections to achieve better compliance among motorists? Shouldn’t closed-circuit television be a tool used for recording offenders for later apprehension or for imposing fines? If the cameras are used for this purpose, then there needs to be wide dissemination of this information.
ROAD TRAFFIC EDUCATION NEEDED
Insurance companies could also become partners with the Traffic Police in the fight to get better compliance by withdrawing coverage from habitual offenders of traffic laws. We note that in the new Road Traffic Act which was signed into law by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen earlier this year, there are increased fines for various offences, including absence of insurance coverage. But when will these increased fines be applied?
We also see a need for road traffic education. Drivers who are caught breaking the rules with regularity should be compelled to return to driving school with all the humiliation such an order can heap on one’s head. However, this retraining should include an educational component that emphasises the responsibility that comes with being in control of a vehicle and the consequences of recklessness.
It is not enough to bemoan the carnage on the roads. It is time for a resolve to build effective partnerships and use available technology to help to reduce road deaths in the future.