Partygoers warned to abide by road code

As the festive season continues, head of the police’s Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch Superintendent Courtney Coubrie is imploring partygoers to abide by the road code and be safe while traversing the nation’s thoroughfares.  

“Between 12:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. we have our traffic band, and that’s when you find partygoers leaving places of entertainment and travelling along stretches of roads after consuming liquor. In some instances, drivers engage in racing, break the traffic lights and road signs. We want to discourage this kind of behaviour on our roads,” he said.

Coubrie was speaking at a recent JIS ‘Think Tank’ held at the agency’s head office in St Andrew.

“Section 33 under the Road Traffic Act speaks to speed trials and racing on our public roads. If you are caught you will be arrested and when taken to court, your driver’s licence will be disqualified for at least a year,” he informed. 

Coubrie is also urging parents to be mindful of children using motor vehicles without a driver’s licence to attend parties and events during the season.

“The law clearly states that no one under the age of 18-years-old or without a driver’s licence should operate a motor vehicle. Parents can be arrested if their underage child is found operating a vehicle without a licence,” he said.

He also appealed to motorists to be extra vigilant when driving along crash hotspots and urged them to be mindful of using bright or colourful headlights, as this impairs the vision of other drivers and could result in an accident. 

“We want all persons who use the roads to have a safe and Merry Christmas. We have ramped up the security presence on the roads for the season and the New Year to rid the country of these unwanted practices on the roads,” Coubrie said. 

We want to hear from you! Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169, email us at editors@gleanerjm.com or onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com.