Jamaica’s road safety advocates are breathing a collective sigh of relief as there were only two fatal crashes and three fatalities on the nation’s roads during the one-week period August 20-26.

By contrast, 12 people were killed during the one-week period from Independence Day, August 6 to August 12 while 16 perished in the seven days from July 23-29.

Those killed in the last week are a 24 year-old male who was pronounced dead at hospital on August 19. This, after the F750 motor truck in which he was travelling, and which was laden with blocks along the Winston Jones Highway in Manchester, exited the road and travelled along the embankment in the vicinity of Russell’s Place before it overturned.

As a result of the impact, the victim received serious injuries and was taken to the Mandeville Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead according to information from the Road Safety Unit (RSU). The cause of the crash is unknown.

The other fatal crash occurred about 4:30 am on Monday, August 22, along the Bustamante Highway, roughly 250 metres west of the junction of the Milk River Main Road.

The RSU said it involved a white 2005 International motor truck and a white and blue 2019 Toyota Coaster bus.

The International motor truck was transporting cooking oil and was travelling westerly along the Bustamante Highway. On reaching the section of roadway, the Toyota Coaster bus which was travelling in the opposite direction, reportedly failed to keep left and both vehicles collided head-on at a section of the right lane. The driver and the only passenger travelling in the Coaster bus received head injuries and were transported to the May Pen Hospital where they succumbed to their injuries. The age of the driver is unknown; his passenger was 57 years old.

Overall, 309 people have been killed in 270 fatal crashes as at August 26, 2022.

Fatal crashes have decreased by four per cent while fatalities are down two per cent when compared with the similar period in 2021 the RSU said.

So far, pedestrians account for 19 per cent of the road users killed as at August 26.

Motorcyclists account for 27 per cent of all fatalities since the start of the year, private motor vehicle drivers account for 22 per cent, private motor vehicle passengers make up 15 per cent of the fatalities while passengers overall account for 23 per cent.

The category of roads users deemed most vulnerable – (pedestrians, pedalcyclists, motorcyclists and pillion riders) account for 54 per cent of the road users killed up to Friday.

Males make up the bulk of the fatalities accounting for 85 per cent and females 15 per cent.