425 road fatalities recorded in Jamaica in 2023

The Road Safety Unit is reporting that Jamaica ended 2023 with 425 people being killed in crashes, a decrease of 13 per cent when compared to the corresponding period.

In 2022, 488 road fatalities occurred on the nation's roadway.

Under the 2023 review period, there were 384 collisions that resulted in deaths, representing a 10 per cent reduction when compared to the year before.

The unit says Westmoreland, St Catherine, and St Andrew accounted for the highest number of road fatalities to date, while men accounted for 88% of deaths.

Director of the Road Safety Unit, Deidrie Hudson-Sinclair, is calling for increased caution when traversing the roadways despite road crashes and fatalities trending down.

She is reminding all road users to obey the rules of the road and take caution at all times.

“Motorcyclists and motorists must ensure they use proper protective equipment when traversing the roadways, and stick to the speed limits in the different areas,” said Hudson-Sinclair.

“Pedestrians must remember to look right, then left, then right again and use safe places to cross. They should also wear light or bright clothing at night and walk facing the oncoming traffic,” she added.

The road safety director is also reminding road users to look out for each other on the road network and be vigilant, as road safety is everyone's business.

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