Road fatalities lowest in 39 years - police

Road fatalities lowest in 39 years – police

Jan 06, 2009 News

The Guyana Police Force yesterday released the traffic statistics for 2008, and noted that last year represented a “significant achievement and marked improvement in the area of traffic enforcement.”

The fact is that the 113 road fatalities, including the seven children from the 99 fatal accidents for last year, are the lowest Guyana has seen for the past 39 years, according to the police.

However, the police have noted that this record may be for a longer period of time, but the statistics for the years previous to 1969 have not yet been retrieved.

The police have credited this achievement to a number of contributing factors, including the rigid traffic enforcement by the Guyana Police Force, especially through its zero tolerance “Operation Safeway” campaign throughout the country.

Road fatalities for 2008 were 113, compared to 207 for 2007, a reduction of 45.4 percent or 94 less deaths on the roadways in 2008 than in 2007. Similarly, there were 99 fatal accidents last year, a reduction of 41.4 percent when compared to 2007, which saw 169 fatal accidents.

These fatal accidents were caused by various factors, the most paramount of which was speeding, which claimed 53 lives in 2008. Driving under the influence of alcohol resulted in nine deaths; crossing roadways took eight lives, and failing to conform to signs resulted in six deaths.

In 2008, the ‘A’ Division (Georgetown/East Bank Demerara) reported 37 deaths from 33 accidents, a significant decrease from the 55 accidents and 66 deaths of 2007. The ‘B’ Division (Berbice) saw 21 deaths from 21 accidents in 2008, a decrease from the 44 deaths from 38 accidents which occurred in 2007.

‘C’ Division (East Coast Demerara) saw 22 deaths in 2008, resulting from 17 accidents, another decrease from the 32 deaths in 2007 occasioned from 25 accidents. ‘D’ Division (West Demerara) also reported significant reductions in the numbers of road fatalities and accidents, with 17 deaths from 16 accidents in 2008. In 2007, the ‘D’ Division saw 25 deaths from accidents.

Similarly, the ‘E & F’ Divisions (Linden/Interior Locations) also reported significant reductions in the number of road fatalities and accidents in 2008, with nine deaths from seven accidents. In 2007, ‘E&F’ Divisions reported 32 deaths from 20 accidents.

‘G’ Division (Essequibo Coast and Islands) also reported reductions. In 2008, there were seven deaths from five accidents, and in 2007 there were eight deaths from eight accidents.

For last year, the 113 road fatalities comprised 38 pedestrians, 13 pedal cyclists, 18 motor cyclists, 5 pillion riders, 12 passengers in automobiles, 14 drivers, six occupants of vans, and seven minibus passengers.

The vehicles involved in the fatal accidents for 2008 included 28 private cars, 20 lorries, 21 motor cycles, 14 bicycles, 25 minibuses, nine pick-ups, 12 hire cars, three tractors and trailers, three jeeps and three vans.

In 2008, only seven children died on the roadways, compared to 30 children in 2007, a reduction of 77 percent.

The police have said that they have imparted traffic education using the media, and they have also taken road safety and traffic education to the schools of Guyana. The use of radar guns has also helped motorists’ compliance with the speed limits.

Other positive factors the Police Force has noted include the increase in monetary fines for specific traffic offences. Enacting new legislation, particularly as it relates to driving under the influence of alcohol and the non-use of mobile phones while driving, has helped.

The Guyana Police Force launched ‘Operation Safeway’ on October 25, 2007, and it was reported that up until December 31, 2008, more than 85, 000 cases had been made.

The highest number of cases netted by ‘Operation Safeway’ was speeding cases, numbering over 22,000.

There were almost 6,500 cases of overloaded minibuses, and approximately 2100 cases of drivers driving without licenses. There were a further 600 cases concerning dangerous driving, and just over 350 cases of careless driving.

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