Georgetown: For this year so far over 84 persons have been killed as a result of road accidents while in excess of 45, 000 cases were made against errant drivers, the country’s Traffic Chief Dion Moore has confirmed.In urging motorists and pedestrians to take extra care, Moore noted that in 2015 statistics for the same period show there were 79 deaths and 35,000 cases against errant drivers. He said ‘A’ Division had the greatest number of road fatalities for the year followed by ‘C’ Division, ‘D’ and ‘B’ Divisions.
With the launching of the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) magazine, he said it is anticipated that it spreads the values of life while underscoring the need for road users to collaborate with the traffic department in compliance with the law. “I want road users to work together with us along with other stakeholders to preserve the lives of our citizens and to promote road safety,” the Traffic Chief said. “Every time someone dies, it is hard to tell the relative, mother or friend. It is not easy to deliver such a message that a member of their family has passed due to an accident.”
Acknowledging that there are drivers who constantly break the traffic laws, Mr Moore said the traffic department has been working very hard to ensure that motorists desist from law-breaking practices. Moore also cited driving under the influence as the major cause of some traffic accidents. He noted that everyday enforcement coupled with education and awareness across the country will be used to decrease traffic accidents. Moore pointed out several challenges being faced by the traffic department with the use of cellphones whilst driving being a major issue. He pointed out that effectively charging persons with this violation is difficult, since officers will first have to recognise the offence which will be later contested by many drivers. However, the police are being assisted by the surveillance cameras that are installed throughout the city. These cameras have been assisting the police in bringing charges against drivers who breach traffic codes. Also on the agenda is collaboration among the police; the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC); youth organisations and vocational training programmes over the August holiday to conduct educational programmes on road safety.
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