Road Safety webinar aims to achieve zero road fatalities

With an uptick in road fatalities over the past three years, JN General Insurance Company (JNGI) will be sensitising the public on responsible use of the road through a free road safety webinar themed: ‘Road Safety – Stop the Mayhem, Save Lives!’ tomorrow from 6 to 8 p.m.

Among the key stakeholders who will be providing expert information on road safety are representatives from the Road Safety Unit, the Jamaica Constabulary Force, JN General Insurance, JN Foundation and the Jamaica Automobile Association. Persons can register to attend the webinar by visiting JNGI’s website at www.jngijamaica.com and clicking the ‘Register Here’ option.

Statistics provided by the Road Safety Unit show that road traffic deaths have exceeded 400 yearly over the past three years in comparison to the period 2008 to 2018. Last year, road fatalities soared to 487. This year is shaping up to be another deadly year, as 241 persons have died as of July 8.

Newly appointed general manager of JNGI, Dr Dana Morris Dixon, is optimistic that the webinar will provide valuable information to equip persons with the knowledge and right attitudes to make a positive change in their outlook on road safety.

“Every effort should be made to attend this informative webinar which will provide insight into strategies that can be implemented to stop the mayhem on our roads. Too many lives have been lost and too many persons have become seriously injured each year from road crashes which are preventable. If everyone is deliberate about exercising care on the road and adhering to the road code, we can easily achieve zero fatalities every year,” Dixon said.

“Road crashes are not only traumatic, but they have significant social and economic implications for victims and their families. When a family loses a breadwinner, the quality of life of members of the family is affected and is further worsened for low-income families. Survivors may have long-term injuries that prevent them from being at work and this affects productivity. Moreover, road crashes put a severe strain on our limited healthcare resources.”

Highlighting the economic impact of road crashes, Dixon indicated that the Cost of Care Project, an outcome of a collaboration with the JN Foundation and the National Health Fund, estimated that the direct medical cost and indirect productivity cost associated with 13,000 road traffic crash cases treated in hospitals in 2014, amounted to $3.2 billion.