Authorities stepping up activities to reduce crash fatalities

The authorities are set to increase their vigilance on the roads amid concern about the number of recent serious crashes and road fatalities.

The National Road Safety Council on Thursday convened a meeting at the direction of Prime Minister Andrew Holness to explore strategies to reduce the number of fatal motor vehicle crashes.

Based on those talks, the head of the Highway and Patrol Division at the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch, Superintendent Lanford Salmon, has committed to increasing police presence on the roads, especially during the Christmas season.

The Island Traffic Authority has also committed to putting more personnel on the ground to carry out spot checks on the road worthiness of vehicles.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport said it will be increasing its education campaign and community engagement on road safety across all media platforms.

In addition, the Road Safety Council and the Ministry of National Security will be embarking on another motorcycle training this month, starting in one of the country's accident hotspots, Mountainside, St Elizabeth.

Minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Floyd Green, said the issue of road safety requires an all-hands-on-deck approach.

However, he noted, “Nothing beats personal responsibility, so I am urging all drivers to take more care on the roads. Too many families are being put through needless heartache because of bad decisions being made on our roads.”

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