Traffic statistics released by police on Wednesday show that there have been 72 accidents this year which resulted in 75 deaths. During the same period last year there were 65 accidents resulting in the same number of deaths.
Speeding has been the cause of majority of the fatal accidents this year. There were 53 fatal accidents caused by speeding this year compared to 47 last year. Inattentiveness, driving under the influence of alcohol and failure to conform to a sign resulted in the other cases of fatal accidents, police said.
Pedestrians continue to be the highest group of road fatality victims. This year 26, one less than last year, pedestrians were killed in accidents. Pedal cyclists and motor cyclists follow with 17 and 13 deaths, respectively.
Recently, the release further said, accidents have been “occurring in a manner where drivers contribute to their own death and that of others accompanying them at the time as they exceed the speed limit, sometimes also under the influence of alcohol, and colliding with lamp posts or stationary vehicles, or running into trenches.” So far this year there have been 13 such fatal accidents.
There have been 10,988 cases of speeding and 814 cases of driving under the influence of alcohol made against defaulting motorists so far this year.
The Guyana Police Force, the release further said, is calling on motorists not to allow themselves to be distracted by TV or DVD sets in their vehicles or anything that will cause them not to focus on the road while driving. The 5 Cs (Care, Courtesy, Consideration, Commonsense, and Caution) should be exercised when using the roadways.
The rigorous enforcement of the traffic laws along with the use of the breathalyzer and radar guns will continue, and persons found in breach of the laws will be prosecuted, the release reminded. “Operation Safeway “has seen 43,077 cases being made against defaulting motorists.
