Deadly Road Use

Oct 29, 2012 Editorial

Even though the authorities regularly assure us otherwise, our roads are deadlier than ever. In the first decade of the millennium, according to official statistics, 1,377 persons were killed in fatal road accidents in our country.
By WHO’s calculations, we have a death rate of 20 per 100,000 of population in 2011, which indicates that their figures are slightly higher than the average of the decade. As of September 13 of this year, 71 persons had already perished in traffic accidents. The high rates of death and disability expose the lack of an organised system of traffic management and safety. The ad hoc approach has not worked and a holistic system must be introduced immediately.
The overall conditions of our chaotic traffic conditions can be gleaned from the US State Department advisory to their citizens on Traffic and Road: “Driving in Guyana can be potentially very hazardous. The rate of traffic accident fatalities in Guyana is higher than in the United States. Cars, large commercial vehicles, horse drawn carts, bicyclists, motorcycles, free range livestock, stray dogs, pedestrians, aggressive “mini-buses” and sleeping animals all share narrow, poorly maintained roads.
“Aggressive, speeding vehicles on the same roads with slow-moving vehicles makes driving in Guyana especially dangerous. Driving at unsafe speeds, reckless driving, tail-gating, quick stops without signalling, passing at intersections, and passing on crowded streets is commonplace. Driving at night poses additional concerns as many roads are not lit, some drivers do not lower high beam lights, livestock sleep on the road and many pedestrians congregate by the roadside. You should exercise caution at all times while driving and avoid driving outside of Georgetown at night when possible.”
We have to address the above hurdles and set goals for traffic deaths that are objective rather than simply comparing it with the previous year’s figures, as is the practice. The WHO uses a statistic that measures road fatalities compared to each 100,000 vehicles in the country. When measured by this metric, our deaths jump to 210 per 100,000 cars compared to just 15 for the US. No wonder that country calls our conditions ‘hazardous”. But this statistic suggests why efforts to stem the carnage on our roads have to be intensified: we are importing over 10,000 private vehicles annually. When it is considered that our road-stock has significantly increased in the past decade, we can appreciate the pressures on the system.
With the same roads having to accommodate those vehicles, pedestrians, animals and slow moving vehicles, it is a wonder that our fatalities are not higher. Lack of a holistic approach to traffic challenges has seen a spectacular increase in the housing and commercial buildings on the East Bank and East Coast, without any thought as to how the increased traffic will be channelled.
The frantic effort at widening the roads in the last couple years is akin to locking the stable doors after the horse has bolted. And as it bolts, it is killing a whole lot of Guyanese. The authorities will have to create new roads around these new settlements.
In the near term they will have to vigorously enforce the road regulations especially the speed limits. Enforcement rests on professionalization of the police traffic department, introduction of traffic courts (evenings) and a rationalisation of the traffic rules to take cognisance of our realities. With our major roads all built through densely populated villages, pedestrians are literally taking their lives into their hands every time they step onto those roads. Very consistently, pedestrians form the largest category of road fatalities, followed by pedal cyclists. Our roads are just not meant for speeding.
This point, of course, is completely lost on the drivers and operators of mini-buses, which represent the greatest threat to improving our road usage. This area must be regulated much more robustly: operators and drivers of mini-buses must apply for special licences which will not be renewed if they accumulate points for infractions. The law must be amended to preclude private settlements that have now become standard in traffic accidents.

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