Senior danger - Traffic fatalities of seniors increase

When an elderly resident of St Ann was struck by a motor vehicle as he walked along the Drax Hall main road in September, his death added to the high incidence of elderly Jamaicans dying in crashes on the country's road network.

Elderly pedestrians have a disproportionately higher risk of being killed in traffic accidents, according to information from the Road Safety Unit (RSU) of the Ministry of Transport and Works. The RSU reported that 44 elderly persons over 60 years old have died as a result of traffic crashes since the start of the year, more than half of them pedestrians. This is a marked increase over the 32 who died in the same period in 2011.

"The increasing number of elderly persons being killed on our roads is a troubling statistic, given that the overall level of pedestrian fatalities is on the decline," stated Duane Ellis, general manager of the Jamaica Automobile Association (JAA).

"This is a clear indication that we have a major problem with elderly citizens on our roadways, as the 'greying' of the Jamaican population continues to increase," Ellis contended. He emphasised that "consideration must be given to elderly pedestrians who may have poor vision or hearing and who may not be able to react to danger as quickly as others".

He pointed to the additional factor that the elderly were generally more physically frail than younger people and thus more likely to succumb to injuries in a major accident.

"We must first ensure that our elderly pedestrians adapt road safety practices such as walking toward oncoming traffic, so that they will be better able to see vehicles that may be heading towards them and respond," he explained.

Ellis noted that elderly pedestrians should also exercise proper road use by not crossing where there isn't a pedestrian crossing, near corners or near large stationary vehicles.

He also emphasised that drivers have a duty to care for other road users, particularly the elderly and the very young.

"One basic guideline is that drivers should keep within designated speed limits," he advised. "This reduces the likelihood of traffic fatalities and also provides more response time for both motorists and pedestrians to avoid accidents."

He further pointed out that motorists should be more patient with elderly pedestrians who may use the road. "For the elderly, the older they get the less likely it is that they will be drivers and so even if they are using public transportation they will still be walking and we just need to be more aware of their presence," Ellis said.