FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MARGINAL REDUCTION IN ROAD FATALITIES

NRSC Encourages Technological Solutions In Increasing Road Safety

Kingston, Jamaica: The National Road Safety Council is expressing relief at the marginal reduction in road fatalities for the last calendar year, while urging Jamaicans to exercise greater effort in keeping the roads safe from crashes in 2010.

The statistics revealed a downward trend in fatalities from 371 in 2006 to 350 in 2007, 343 in 2008 and 334 (preliminary figure from the police) in 2009. Commenting on the road crash figures, Mrs. Paula Fletcher, Executive Director, NRSC urged, “Though this is the fourth consecutive year of decrease in fatalities, the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) is appealing to all Jamaicans to exercise care and adhere to the rules to ensure safer roads.”

There was a marked decrease in pedestrian deaths on the roads in 2009 in comparison to 2008. Pedestrian deaths showed a reduction of 22.54% and accounted for 23.65% of the total fatalities. This is an improved trend, as over the years pedestrian deaths have hovered above 33% of total fatalities. While welcoming the reduction in pedestrian deaths, Mrs. Fletcher has expressed concern that children continue to be among the vulnerable groups of road users. There was an increase of 42.85% in the number of children (ages 0 – 14) pedestrians who succumbed to road crashes.

Men remained the most vulnerable group on our roads. The statistics revealed that approximately 84% of the persons killed in road crashes last year were males.

Also a cause of concern to the NRSC was the increase in Private Motor Car passenger fatalities, which was up by 32.69%.  A significant number of robot taxi passengers are believed to fall in this category, with the major feature of these crashes being multiple fatalities. 

Private Motor Car Drivers accounted for 17.36% of the total fatalities reported in 2009. But a key cause of concern in the fatality rate was among Public Passenger Vehicle passengers, which had a 109% increase over 2008. The insufficient use of seatbelts is being cited as a significant contributor to multiple fatalities in public passenger vehicles, when such vehicles are involved in crashes.

Another trend observed by the NRSC and the Police Traffic Department in road usage is that pedal cyclists were involved in fewer crashes on the roads than motorcyclists. This pattern was reflected in a reduced number of fatalities affecting pedal cyclists, dropping by 25.6 % from 39 in 2008 to 29 in 2009; while there was a disturbing spike in motorcycle fatalities, which inched up by 7.1% from 42 in 2008 to 45 in 2009. A glimmer of hope with regard to motorcyclists is that there was a 33 1/3 % decrease in pillion fatalities.

The NRSC and the Police Traffic Department believed more lives could have been saved, if motor and pedal cyclists used crash helmets, which is required by law for motorcyclists.  The NRSC also voiced concern that there is a noticeable disregard for the use of safety devices, especially in the back of vehicles, such as seatbelts and car seats/child-safety-seats by motor vehicle passengers and drivers. This road safety advocate group is reiterating the need for both front and back-seat passengers to use seatbelts, warning that in the event of a crash, unrestrained persons become missiles that are flung forward as well as from the vehicle, and may be crushed by that vehicle or a passing vehicle. The NRSC is reminding that the Seatbelt Legislation requires buckling up in the front and back of vehicles, including taxis and that the police will be paying particular attention to enforcing this law in 2010. 

The road fatalities also took a significant toll on public resources. The preliminary figures revealed that over J$1.7 billion dollars was spent in public hospitals to treat persons injured in traffic crashes. “We can cut down this expenditure by adhering to the rules and taking personal responsibility for your safety on the road,” Mrs. Fletcher pointed out.  She also pointed out that while there may be a tendency to focus on those who die, several more crash victims suffer injuries, many of which are lifelong.

Expressing concern over the number of lives lost, Mrs. Fletcher reiterated NRSC’s commitment to continue to forge meaningful partnerships with the stakeholders and work towards enhanced safety on the roads. “It is sad that so many innocent lives are lost, as a society striving to meet our millennium development goals, it becomes our duty to make the roads safe for all the citizens, children and the old in particular,” she said.

Vice Chairman/Convenor of the NRSC, Dr. Lucien Jones has expressed the commitment of his organization to encourage the use of technological/electronic solutions in increasing safety on the nation’s roads. Chief among the measures are inter-sectoral discussions on an electronic surveillance system to detect certain traffic breaches such as the breaking of the red light as well as speeding. He reported that work is far advanced on a new Traffic Ticketing System, which will feature a hand-held device used by the police to access a central data base on the particulars of motorists, the types and numbers of traffic tickets issued to them, as well as information on unpaid traffic tickets.

The Save 300 LIVES Project of the NRSC mobilizes the private and public sector through public education, improvements to legislation, enforcement, and driver training; to reduce the social and economic burden of traffic crashes.

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