Look out, motorists! - Cop warns against distracted driving

Commanding Officer for the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Traffic and Highway Patrol Division Senior Superintendent Calvin Allen has warned against distracted driving.

Speaking at a recent meeting of the Rotary Club of St Andrew North, Allen said that distracted driving has led to many collisions on the nation's roads, some of which have been fatal.

"An ounce of distraction goes a long way. The three main causes of traffic collisions are excessive speeding, improper overtaking, and drivers failing to keep left, which is distracted driving," he said.

CAUSES OF DISTRACTION

According to Allen, things that can cause distraction include the use of cell phones, reading, eating, and applying make-up, which he said are all dangerous while driving. He explained that many persons are of the view that they are able to multi-task, not realising that the vehicle may be drifting or that numerous things can happen in a split second.

"The most obedient thing that you have is your motor vehicle. It is going to respond to your every demand, so if you are depressing the accelerator, it is going to go faster. If you are not looking as you should, it is going to go where the steering wheel is taking you," he warned.

Allen also expressed concern about a worrying trend, which is the loss of lives of young people in fatal collisions.

"When we look at the statistics for 2017, we see where 321 lives were lost. Of that number, persons between the ages of 20 and 34 years accounted for about 140, or approximately 43 per cent," he said.

"If we lose our young people, we lose our future," he pointed out.