Driver and Traffic Safety Expo says 'Take Time'

Sheldon Williams, Gleaner Writer

The sixth staging of the Jamaica Driver and Traffic Safety Expo will take place on Saturday, June 21, at Jamaica College, Hope Road, St Andrew.

The theme is 'Take Time, Lives Are On The Line'. The expo will start at 10 a.m. and there is no entry fee.

Organiser of the event, Alphanso Grennell of Grennell's Driving School, said there will be several activities and workshops geared towards road safety. Discussions about speeding will be prioritised as it is a recurring issue. "Even the manufacturers tend to use speed as one of the pitches to sell the vehicle, so we will be focusing on that to get people to reduce their speed," Grennell said.

Popular race car drivers have been invited to do presentations that will discourage persons from driving too quickly. "David Summerbell, Kyle Gregg and Andre Anderson will be there with their team to send the messages," Grennell said.

Classic cars and bikes from the 1920s and 1930s will also be on display as "we try to give a history lesson to young people and even some older people who have never seen some of these vehicles".

Workshops for all

There will be three workshops, namely, Pedestrian Safety, Motor Bike Safety and Defensive Driving. "In addition, we will have a parallel parking challenge and reverse challenge, to get people to see how sharp they are and to check out their driving skills," Grennell said.

There will also be a special booth to be set up by the Jamaica German Automotive School, "so if you have any automotive issues or want to learn anything about your car then you need to come to that booth".

Police officers will also be giving demonstrations on the proper way to cross roads.

Participants in the 2014 Jamaica Driver and Traffic Safety Expo include the National Road Safety Unit, Petrojam, IGL, the Transport Authority and Island Traffic Authority.

CAPTION - Alexander Hue (left) shows Paula Fletcher, executive director of the National Road Safety Council, how to operate the bike she is sitting on, while Alphanso Grennell (right), managing director of Grennell's Driving School, Hugh Reid (second right), president of Insurance Association of Jamaica, and Deputy Superintendent Courtney Coubrie (second left) observe the quick lesson. They were at the 5th Annual Jamaica Driver and Traffic Safety Expo, held at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, Hope Road, St Andrew, in June 2013. - File