The National Road Safety Council (NRSC) has announced that there has been major dip in road fatalities in Jamaica since the start of the new year.
Some 47 people have died in road crashes so far this year, compared to 72 last year, representing a 35 per cent reduction.
Reacting to the news, NRSC Vice Chair Dr Lucien Jones says the authorities will be pressing to ensure this trend continues.
While Jones celebrates the decline, he maintained that too many people are dying in traffic crashes.
“Families are in grief. The country continues to suffer because of the cost of injuries to the health sector,” he stressed.
“Because even though we are tracking the number of fatalities, we don’t always have a handle on the number of crashes which result in injuries and injuries alone, and all of this really is causing havoc in our country,” he suggested.
Against that background, Jones urged motorists to slow down and use seatbelts, including for backseat passengers.
He added that drivers should not use cellphones unless in hands-free mode, and should not smoke marijuana or drink alcohol while driving.
A record 488 road fatalities occured last year.
