Even though politicians are really good at putting on their best face on the election campaign trail, we’d like to believe that Prime Minister Andrew Holness is being sincere in expressing sorrow for the unfortunate Jamaicans who have been killed or harmed while travelling in campaign motorcades.

In the relatively short local government campaign so far, two people — a 15-year-old boy and a man — have lost their lives, and one woman has lost a leg from election-related tragedies on both Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the People’s National Party (PNP) motorcades.

To his credit, Mr Holness, the JLP leader, has visited the St Thomas woman and appeared suitably pained that she lost a leg and is now in a wheelchair. He has also pledged full support for her going forward.

In respect of the teenager who was killed, he described the incident as “very tragic”, saying: “My heart goes out to his parents… And I’m sure all of you here are keeping that family in our prayers. It is really, really sad that this has happened.”

It is important that he has also urged JLP supporters to travel with care during motorcades, and to ensure that body protrusion is eliminated, stressing that: “Our campaign must be normal. Do not hang out of buses, and those riding bikes, be very careful…

“I want to say to all of you here, when we call you out to come on campaign, I have a responsibility to make sure that whatever we do it is done orderly, and it is done with your safety and security in mind.”

That, however, can only be a first step. The JLP and the PNP must work together to curb their supporters’ appetite for the reckless driving, with bodies protruding dangerously from the vehicles, illegal overtaking as they zip in and out of traffic, and the other breaches of the road safety regulations that endanger or inconvenience other motorists on the road.

It has long been very clear to all and sundry that the police traffic department, on its own, cannot handle the problem. It is absolutely impractical to expect cops — already undermanned — to take on frenzied party supporters in their large convoys.

While in the past there have not been any significant reports of tragedies on the motorcades, something seems to have gone awry that we can have three deadly incidents in the first half of the month. That is why well-meaning statements cannot be enough.

In our Tuesday editorial we asked whether the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ), in its expanded role as political ombudsman, could bring the parties together to address this deadly problem.

On their own, and in the heat of election battle, the two major parties might find it hard to come together to hammer out an approach to tidy up the situation. This is where the ECJ could come in handy.

Inevitably, the cost of taking care of the people who are hurt and maimed on these wild motorcades will become the responsibility of the already overburdened taxpayer. This is a bad way to spend money the country can ill-afford.

Let us not ignore the fact that it is the political parties that organised, funded, and fed the motorcades. The rest of the country should not be made to pay the cost of their indiscipline.

Action is needed now. We shouldn’t wait until the next tragedy occurs. The general election are not far away.