We are concerned about road fatalities – Fletcher

Executive Director of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) Paula Fletcher has expressed concern over the increase in fatalities on Jamaica’s roads in 2018. The numbers were up from 322 in 2017 to 386 persons last year.

“We are particularly worried at this time about young Jamaican victims in the 20 to 34-year age bracket,” added NRSC Co-Chair Dr Lucien Jones, commenting, “It is also disturbing to note that the vast majority of victims – some 80 per cent – are male.” Dr Jones stressed that although there was some success last year in reducing the number of motorcycle crash fatalities, this area is still one to watch.

The NRSC is determined to bring the numbers back down below 300, in keeping with global targets. “The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined the period 2011-2020 as the Decade of Action for Road Safety, officially proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 2010,” Fletcher noted.

“The UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #3 on Health and Well-being seeks to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2020,” she continued.

“Keeping these global goals in mind, the interim NRSC Board plans to implement a targeted response this year through public education campaigns. However, our work will extend much further. We will be galvanising support from several government ministries, from international organisations and from the private sector.”

Despite ongoing concerns, there were some positive achievements in 2018. The NRSC partnered with the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy to prepare a GAP Analysis, which will now be used to inform some of the key strategies to be implemented by the council for road safety, beginning this year.

“We are also pleased with the strides made in the area of enforcement, and with the establishment of the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch,” said Fletcher.

The implementation of the Road Traffic Act – involving all stakeholders – will be a critical component of the council’s plans for 2019. There will be other specific areas of attention; for example, the need to have safer vehicles on the road.

The NRSC will be renewing its appeal for a national solution regarding the Takata airbag inflators found in some motor vehicles. When the airbag deploys on the impact of a crash, the defective inflators expel sharp objects that have been known to puncture the roof of the vehicle and have caused grave injury or death. NRSC believes that this particular issue requires a coordinated and cohesive response, which must also apply to all matters related to the standards of imported vehicles driven on our roads.

“We must ensure that we have safer vehicles on our roads,” stressed Fletcher. However, she also added that, “The ‘safe systems’ plan is to demand not only safe vehicles. We must also demand safe roads, safe speeds and safe road users. Also, the response after a crash occurs must be robust and reliable, as we try to save more lives and prevent more serious injury.”