At a press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) last Thursday morning, officials from the National Road Safety Council (NRSC), Jamaica Automobile Association (JAA) and the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) announced upcoming initiatives which will affect local and international road-safety promotion.

Dr Lucien Jones, the NRSC's vice-chairman/convenor, reiterated that the NRSC has helped to spare the lives of many Jamaicans through its road-safety programmes, which has informed and driven much of the council's 20th anniversary celebrations last week.

He expressed relief that the average fatalities on the nation's road have fallen from double-digit figures 20 years ago to single-digit figures this year.

NOTABLE REDUCED FATALITIES

"The data of reduction in fatalities from 18.6 fatalities per 100,000 of the population in 1993 to 9.2 per 100,000 in 2012 is the single most important fact driving the celebrations of our 20th anniversary," he said.

Pointing to the power of political leadership in mobilising Jamaica's support for road safety, Dr Jones noted that four prime ministers have chaired the NRSC. He said through their influence in coordinating inter-ministerial action on road safety, Jamaica has been empowered to "speed up the legislation" and policy reform on road safety.

Dr Jones indicated that despite the achievements, there are some areas in which improvement is needed in terms of road-user behaviour.

"On the issue of seatbelts and (safety) helmets, we have fallen down ... . We need to up our game on this issue," he said.

He also singled out the need to focus on communities which have a high road-crash rate and galvanise residents of those areas on the matter of increased road safety. Dr Jones is of the view that the authorities urgently need to introduce electronic surveillance devices in order to strengthen its monitoring and enforcement of the traffic regulations. This is another vital aspect of encouraging more responsible road-user behaviour, he believes.

PROUD OF ACHIEVEMENTS

Earl Jarrett, chairman of the JAA and member of the board of trustees, FIA Foundation, expressed pride in the achievements of the NRSC, which he said cameas a result of the bilateral relationships and foreign collaborations it has developed over the years.

He shared that the vision of the NRSC, JAA and its partners is for the establishment of a road safety institute. This would coordinate and leverage road-safety resources and expertise in a sustainable way for Jamaica and the wider region. He disclosed that the NRSC and its partners are now "putting together a framework document on the establishment of the institute".

Jarrett said the anniversary celebrations and the journey of the NRSC have demonstrated that Jamaica can accomplish much with concerted action. "This week and the history of the NRSC have shown that where there is action supported by a well-conceived plan, accountability andadequateresources,there will be success," he said.

Jarrett appealed for citizens to pay attention to the structure and make of vehicles being purchased. He cautioned that when making purchases, citizens should not only consider the cost and age of cars, but should pay keen attention to their structure, strength and susceptibility to impacts, as these are significant contributors to the overall safety
of persons on our roads.

David Ward, director general,
FIA Foundation, gave the thumbs up to the visit by His Royal Highness
Prince Michael and the FIA delegation to Jamaica, as well as to
Jamaica's road safety initiatives. "All of our party is hugely impressed
with this visit. This is by far the best organised trip that we have
been involved in," said Ward.

He underscored the need
for Jamaica to get involved with the international lobby on positioning
road safety as a sustainable development goal (also known as the
Millennium Development Goal).

"We really hope that
based on the extraordinary achievements here, you can bring that
experience to bear on the UN Debate on the Sustainable Development
Goals," Ward said. He said when the UN General Assembly is held in
September, if Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller can "help lead that
discussion, it would be great".

Adrian Walsh,
director, Roadsafe, FIA Foundation, expressed delight over the
knowledge, expertise and resource partnerships between the FIA and NRSC.
The council has access to information and other data from the FIA. He
praised the NRSC for its clear, well-resourced plan of action, which had
garnered both private- and public-sector support, thereby making it an
outstanding example to the world and a worthy awardee of the prestigious
Prince Michael International Road Safety
Award.

CAPTION - Dr Lucien Jones (left), vice-chairman/convenor of the National Road
Safety Council, makes a point during last Thursday's press briefing at
the Office of the Prime Minister to announce upcoming local and
international initiatives in road-safety promotion. Other speakers were
(from left) Earl Jarrett, chairman of the Jamaica Automobile Association
and member of the board of trustees, Federation Internationale de
l'Automobile (FIA) Foundation; David Ward, director general, FIA
Foundation; and Adrian Walsh, director, Roadsafe, FIA Foundation. - Contributed