JGRA launches Road Safety Month campaign

Anthony Minott, Gleaner Writer

With the tagline 'Alert Today - Alive Tomorrow Distraction Kills' firmly in their sights, the Jamaica Gasolene Retailers Association (JGRA) launched their Road Safety Month campaign at the Total New Kingston service station, 29 Dominica Drive, on Wednesday.

Last year, 260 road users lost their lives in motor-vehicle crashes, a decline from just over 300 deaths in 2011. This year, the hope is for under 240 road fatalities.

Derrick Thompson, president of the JGRA, said that technology has created more risks for road users. "With Jamaica having one of the highest cellular phone penetration rates in the world at approximately three million subscribers - more cellular phones than people - it is no wonder that we are seeing crashes and fatalities related to the use of this invaluable technology," he said. Therefore, he said, "this technological development, however, has come at a price - one, unfortunately, which we cannot now afford".

Pedestrians

Foot traffic continues to be a problem. "Apart from the cell phone use, I am sure all of us here see distracted pedestrians every day of our driving lives. In fact, just go up to Half-Way Tree on any given day and you could overrun many pedestrians who are on their phones or have music blasting in their ears and usually are oblivious to the dangers around them," Thompson said.

Dr Morais Guy, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing, noted the increase in road deaths this year over the corresponding period in 2012. Guy warned all the stakeholders, including his ministry, the JGRA and the National Road Safety Unit, not to become complacent but to keep working on keeping road deaths down.

Guy is sympathetic towards families that have lost loved ones in road crashes. "For road safety to be a successful partnership, collaboration is extremely critical, as both private and public-sector entities must recognise the importance of road safety to Jamaica's sustainable development. They must be supportive of the 2030 vision for Jamaica to be the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business," he said.

Ban cell phone usage

Paula Fletcher, executive director of the National Road Safety Council, said she is impressed with the JGRA campaign's tagline. She stressed that her organisation is campaigning to ban the use of cell phones while persons are driving.

Bobby Hammond, third vice-president of the JGRA and chairman of its Road Safety Committee, outlined the campaign's road death reduction target. "Our aim this year is to bring this down to under 8.6 per 100,000. It therefore means that those of us who are practising advocates need to redouble our efforts to meet this end. And for those who I call passive practitioners (those who render only lip service), we need to adapt the adage or motto of one of my alma mater, Dinthill - Facta non Verba (Deeds not Words)," he said.

Also addressing the launch was custos rotulorum of St Andrew, Marigold Harding.