Road deaths at 26-year high
Published:Saturday | December 21, 2019 | 12:27 PM
The death toll on Jamaica’s roadways this year is the highest in 26 years.
A total of 417 persons have died in motor vehicle crashes since January 1, according to the latest report published yesterday by the Road Safety Unit in the Transport Ministry.
This is 12 per cent increase when compared with the 372 road fatalities recorded over the comparative period last year.
The last time Jamaica recorded more than 417 road deaths in a calendar year was 1993 when 434 persons died in motor vehicle crashes.
A breakdown of the figures published by the Road Safety Unit shows that on average, close to 34 people died in motor vehicle crashes per month this year.
The 47 deaths recorded in April was the highest for a single month followed by the 40 reported last month.
October and September accounted for the lowest with 26 and 27 respectively.
The statistics revealed, too, that motorcyclists accounted for just over 30 per cent of all road fatalities this year.
According to the Road Safety Unit, 129 motorcyclists have died in crashes since January 1, a 39 per cent increase when compared with the similar period last year.
The number of children and elderly persons killed on the roadways are up 29 and 27 per cent respectively.
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