“Stop the tears” campaign raises awareness on road safety

Nov 16, 2018 News

Representatives of the various organizations and ministries alongside the “Stop the Tears” billboard

The National Road Safety Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Guyana Police Force, Impressions and PAHO has launched a campaign, geared in reducing the number of road fatalities within the country.
The number of deaths by road accidents stands at 101, a figure that was deemed too large and unacceptable by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The campaign, which goes under the name ‘Stop the tears’, featured an unveiling ceremony at the Kitty roundabout of its logo on Thursday; it is also hoping to raise awareness amongst drivers and pedestrians.
Coordinator of the National Road Safety Council, Ramona Doorgen, reiterated the need for road safety for road users. She added that efforts are currently being amplified to combat carnage on the roadways.
“101 is unacceptable, we cannot accept 101 deaths on our roadways. So we have partnered with Impressions, PAHO/WHO, the Guyana Police Force Traffic Department and the Ministry of Public Security and all the other partner Ministries…”
Doorgen added that in collaborating with the various organizations to tackle the issue, their reach, in terms of awareness is being extended. She asserted that road safety has been lying dormant for quite some time and that with the launch of the ‘Stop the tears’ campaign, they are hoping to awaken it from its dormant state.
Doorgen conveyed a sense of urgency in the cause that NRSC and these other organizations are advocating.
“We are partnering with them to launch the campaign. We need to stop the tears. Road safety has become dormant. People are not taking interest,” she said.
PAHO/WHO Health Systems and Services Advisor to Guyana, Dr. Paul Edwards, in his address, commented on how happy PAHO/WHO was to be a part of the campaign. In addition, he stated how vital awareness within society is in combating the issue.
Deputy Traffic Chief, Superintendent, Dennis Stephens, stated that the Guyana Police Force was quite pleased to be a part of an initiative which aims to bring about a more safety focused approach in how the roadways are used.
Road accidents are one of the leading causes of death for persons within Guyana. This alarming statistic has led many awareness movements across the country with ‘Stop the tears’ being just one of them.
The treasurer of the Road Safety Council Shahab Hack stated that he would want to see other private sector agencies on board with the initiative to place the billboards all across Guyana.
In addition to the billboards, bumper stickers have been produced to be distributed to drivers, to raise their awareness on road safety and to remind others that it is time to “stop the tears’.
The Council’s ‘Stop the Tears’ campaign explores the concept of the road being a place that holds a repertoire of stories, NRSC wants to make these stories have happy endings through awareness.

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