President David Granger yesterday said that he is “deeply distressed” at the recent increase of road fatalities which he described as “insane” and urged road users to observe the Guyana Police Force traffic code.
In a statement issued yesterday afternoon, the President said that a total of 114 persons including nine children lost their lives in 97 road accidents for the year so far. Among those dead were 30 pedestrians.
For the month of November, he said there had been 15 accidents which resulted in the deaths of 21 persons, including three children.
According to the President, young people between the ages of 16 and 42 made up more than 3 out of every five road fatalities.
“Road accidents represent a threat to human safety. Every accident is one too many; every death is too great a loss that our country cannot afford,” the President said.
The Head of State explained that the major contributing factor to the “insane” increase in road fatalities is excessive speeding.
The other causes, he said include driving under the influence of alcohol; driving without due care and attention (or inattentiveness) and driving on roads which are congested or unsafe for other road users, especially pedestrians.
As such, he urged the public to observe the Guyana Police Force’s code of behaviour; care, caution, consideration, common sense and courtesy, when using the roadways.
November is designated as Road Safety month and the President said that during his address at the launch on November 4th 2015 he had proposed a three-point approach to road safety.
The first point includes more stringent enforcement of the traffic laws including those proscribing offences such as driving under the influence of alcohol, playing distracting music and the use of cellular phones while driving. He added then that stricter enforcement would help to promote greater safety on the roads along with regular and rigorous patrols of notorious high-risk zones to be conducted during daylight and at night and the establishment of speed limits and limitations on the lawful complement of cargo and passengers by commercial and public transportation vehicles.
The second was the need for greater road safety education through a systematic and sustained countrywide campaign to be conducted; strengthening the drivers’ licensing process to ensure that only competent and responsible persons are certified to drive vehicles, especially passenger vehicles, on roadways. He added that passengers themselves have a primary interest in their own safety and should ensure that the vehicles in which they are travelling are not overloaded, speeding or playing excessively loud music.
The third point included improved engineering solutions to ensure safer roadways, many of which were never intended to be highways or public roads; some of which must be “re-engineered” for safety by clearer signage and markings, including conspicuous pedestrian ‘zebra’ crossings and lane lines which must be visible on all roads. Sidewalks, pavements and the installation of overpasses to ensure pedestrian safety; no-parking zones and bus stops must be marked; traffic signals should be maintained in working condition and traffic policemen must be deployed at high-risk zones to deter lawlessness and direct the safe flow of traffic on urban and rural roadways during peak hours and, particularly, during the most deadly days and nights – Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the President had said..
The President said yesterday that with the combined efforts of the Government, the Guyana Police Force, non-governmental organisations such as Regional Road Safety Associations and civil society, he is confident the use of the roads will be safe for everyone.
In recent days, there has been an alarming number of fatal accidents.
On November 27, seven-year-old Nirfan Nezamdeen, a student of Lachmansingh Primary School and of Lot 169 Section C, Bush Lot Village, West Coast Berbice died after a car crashed into a group of persons along the Bush Lot Public Road.
His mother, sister and several neighbours were also injured.
This accident had occurred a day after police constable 22322 Carl Roach died after his motorcycle collided with a car at the intersection of Brickdam and Chalmers Place.
A day before this, David Matthew Headly, 31, an employee of Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited and of Lot 370 Powis Close, South Ruimveldt Gardens, Georgetown lost his life after his car collided with a bridge rail on the Railway Embankment Road at Felicity, East Coast Demerara.
Two days after, the owner of Kosmos Grill & Lounge at MovieTown at Turkeyen, Dillon DeRamos and his friend, Senior Superintendent Brian Eastman died after the vehicle in which they were travelling crashed into the fence of Yokohama Trading at Liliendaal.
Just four days ago, 25-year-old Riley Newton, of Lot 76, Third Street, Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara was pronounced dead on arrival at the Leonora Cottage Hospital after the vehicle he was driving toppled after he reportedly fell asleep at the wheel along the Leonora Public Road, WCD.
On Saturday night the death toll climbed, after four persons; Ayesha Sealey, 28; Paul Glen, 52; Maria Bisnauth, 12, and Zavira Jona, 22 died after a Route 31 minibus collided with a car along the Nismes, West Bank Demerara public road.
Several other persons were injured.
The latest road fatality occurred along the Meadow Bank Public Road on Tuesday night and claimed the life of 18-year-old student Deshon Morris.
