DJ Bobo Zarro warns 'Drivers'

Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

Angered by the reckless behaviour of some motorists, deejay Bobo Zarro decided to vent his frustration by writing and recording the song Driver, which was released in the summer of 2009.

Ironically, within weeks of it hitting the airwaves he was involved in a near-fatal auto accident along the challenging Mount Rosser descent in St Catherine.

"Is the worst experience in my life. I wouldn't wish it on mi worst enemy," Bobo Zarro told Automotives last week, exactly one year after the crash.

He says a oil spill, possibly caused by a tanker, made him lose control of his 1991 Peugeot 405 which plunged into a ravine. He suffered spinal cord injuries while his fiancé, eight-year-old son and her five-year-old niece, who were also in the car, sustained minor injuries.

During extensive physiotherapy sessions at the Mona Rehabilitation Centre in St Andrew, Bobo Zarro said he has seen several victims of auto accidents getting treatment. Many of them have no hope of walking again.

Irresponsible

It has inspired him to relaunch Driver to address irresponsible driving on Jamaican roads.

"I believe, because many drivers don't read the road code is the reason for the high number of accidents," Bobo Zarro observed. "A song like this can help curb the bad driving."

The second coming of Driver takes place when statistics from the Road Safety Unit (RSU) of the transport and works ministry, show that over 120 persons have died on Jamaican roads this year.

More than 300 road fatalities were recorded in 2009, the ninth straight year deaths went past that mark.

Despite several initiatives by the RSU and the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) to get road fatalities under 300, that objective remains elusive.

In late 2008, the NRSC launched its 'Below 300' campaign amid much fanfare. It was endorsed by celebrities such as Olympic champion Usain Bolt.

Bobo Zarro still suffers excruciating pain and moves around with the aid of a cane, but says doctors expect him to make a full recovery. He considers himself one of the lucky ones.

"They say few people escape when they go over that area, many people have died there," he said. "But the Father look over mi."