JAA promoting road safety

On September 1, road fatalities islandwide was 200. This is six fewer than the similar period in 2010.  This decline has prompted the Jamaica Automobile Association (JAA) to consolidate its road-safety educational programme.

"These promising figures are putting us on track to fall below the target of 300," said Duane Ellis, general manager of JAA.

He said the decline in fatalities provided the association with renewed zest to promote responsible motoring among its members.

"Speeding is a common element in most crashes," Ellis said. "When speeding is combined with bad driving habits such as improper overtaking and disregard for other road users such as pedestrians, the results can be catastrophic."

He said motorists needed to be more aware of the risks of improper road usage because their errors go beyond those immediately involved in each incident. Motor vehicle crashes cost the Jamaican health sector $2-billion in 2010, absorbing resources desperately needed for other aspects of health care.

The general manager said in May the JAA was involved in the worldwide launch of the drive to cut road fatalities by half by 2020, under the United Nations Decade of Action for road safety campaign.

The five pillars of the campaign are road-safety management, safer roads and mobility, safer vehicles, safer road users and post-crash response.

Increased advocacy

Ellis said the auto club is in support of the Decade of Action, has taken its advocacy efforts for safer road users to the Dover Raceway where representatives provide information about the UN Decade of Action initiative to patrons during major motor-racing meets.

Dover racing meets also provide opportunities to focus on the use of safer vehicles. He stated that the JAA also provided team members to act as scrutineers at the Independence of Speed event held on August 6 and 7.

"The srutineer is part of the team that ensures that all vehicles entering competition meet the relevant regulations.

The auto club has also sought to build awareness of the importance of safer vehicles with the staging of its quarterly auto clinics, the Autofest expo, held its Central Avenue headquarters, was the most recent of these events, taking place last June.