HEAD of the National Road Safety Unit (NRSU) Kenute Hare is cautioning road users against recklessness on the island’s roads today as Jamaicans go to the polls in the country’s 18th general election.

The warning comes against the background of Nomination Day crashes, and the death of 283 people in 252 accidents on the nation’s roads since January.

The NRSU is projecting that the final death count for 2020 will be around 366, or 74 less than 2019, but at the same time Hare says he anticipates that fatalities could reach 300 by the middle of this month.

“We need to be responsible. Do not allow the euphoria of the political day to get the better of you, to forget common sense. Those who are transporting people need to take their time and do it because we can’t afford to lose anyone else as a result of traffic crashes. We have lost over 283 people already and they’re no coming back. So we would like to appeal to everyone who will be involved in political operations to be safe,” Hare told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

Hare has also appealed to people to desist from the usual practices of overloading vehicles, speeding, and other dangerous violations. He said road users must also pay special attention to the forecasted inclement weather, which will impact road conditions.

The Road Safety Unit director said that even as the country focuses on controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, crashes remain a major issue, as 20 of those killed between April and August lost their lives on the roads during the curfew hours which have been imposed by the Government to help contain the spread of the virus.

“We have persons who violate the curfew hours and get themselves into serious problems. For the life of me I can’t understand how you can be violating the curfew hours and then you’re supposed to be taking your time, but people aren’t ‘screechy-ing’ and they repaying dearly with their lives,” he stated.

Motorcyclists account for the majority (31 per cent) of road users killed since the start of the year, followed by pedestrians who accounted for 21 per cent of deaths. Private motor vehicle drivers made up 14 per cent of the fatalities and nine per cent of those who have perished so far are pedal cyclists. Eleven per cent were passengers in private motor vehicles.

The unit said, too, that 16 per cent of the persons killed since the start of the year were seniors 60 and over and that males accounted for 88 per cent of those killed overall. According to NRSU statistics, fatal road crashes have steadily increased over the past 10 years, moving from 347 in 2009 to 440 in 2019.

—– Alphea Saunders