GNRSC chairman calls for stricter penalties on road safety

Jul 30, 2025 News

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…recommends ‘three-strike’ system for traffic offenders

Kaieteur News – Chairman of the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC), Earl Lambert, is calling on the government to adopt a “three-strike” system for repeat traffic offenders as part of broader efforts to improve road safety across the country.

Speaking at the National Road Safety Stakeholders Forum on Tuesday, hosted by the Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with the Guyana Police Force and the GNRSC, Lambert urged that drivers who repeatedly violate traffic laws should have their licenses revoked and be required to return to a certified driving school for retraining.

Lambert emphasized the need for a cultural shift among drivers, stating that many motorists today focus more on getting to their destinations quickly than driving safely. “In driving it’s about, go, go, go… you have to stop and wait and make sure that in that process you think about other road users, you think about getting safe to where you are and, in this time, I don’t think people exercise that caution of ensuring that safety is exercised. We need to emphasize safety on our roads,” he said.

He questioned whether existing enforcement measures such as e-ticketing systems, speed cameras, and body cameras are enough curve the high rate of road accidents.

“One of the things that we would like to ask the government to put in place is what I call the three strike system where motorist must be penalized overtime if they have been having several traffic tickets or infractions and therefore have their license suspended or revoked and they go back through a driving practice and they improve the way they use the road that that by itself will send a message because a lot of us use our driver’s license to earn and those license are suspended , it is going to send a message that you need exercise care, caution, consideration, courtesy and common sense when you are using the road and that will contribute heavily towards the day we use our roads,” Lambert explained.

The urgency of these changes is underscored by the statistics of road accidents this year. In the first half of 2025, while overall road accidents decreased by 3% compared to the same period last year, road fatalities increased by 6%, with 70 deaths recorded, including two children. The period also saw 66 fatal accidents, 166 serious accidents, 235 minor accidents, and 428 damage-only incidents.

Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken echoed Lambert’s concerns, stating that enforcement alone will not solve the road safety crisis. “We can increase patrols, install more speed cameras, and prosecute offenders, and we will, but unless we change our collective attitude toward road safety, we will continue to bury our children, our family members, and our friends,” Hicken said.

“The police cannot do this alone. Road Safety is everyone’s responsibility. It is drivers, pedestrian, parents, teachers, transport operators, policy makers, insurance engineers and media personality,” he said.

Hicken also highlighted the forum’s goal of promoting three levels of accountability:

1. Personal accountability, where every road user takes responsibility for their actions, whether it’s speeding, texting while driving, or not wearing a seatbelt.

2. Institutional accountability, which calls on the Police Force, regulatory bodies, and transport associations to uphold their duties with integrity and strategic planning.

3. National accountability, where road safety is embedded into public policy, infrastructure design, education campaigns, and enforcement systems, ensuring that every life is valued and protected.

Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn pointed to the growing number of young drivers and motorcyclists involved in road fatalities. He noted the broader economic and social impact of each life lost due to road accidents. “We’ve seen a significant increase in the number of vehicles and young drivers on our roads. But with every death, especially of someone in their 20s, we’re losing decades of potential productivity,” Minister Benn said.

“If someone dies at 25 and could have worked for another 30 to 40 years, that’s a major loss, not just to their families, but to the country’s economy. These are the real costs we must start calculating if we want to build and optimize Guyana’s economic future.”

Minister Benn stressed the importance of not just better enforcement but also upgraded infrastructure and behavioural change. He called for greater engagement from all sectors, including the private sector, urging insurance companies, vehicle dealers, and transport businesses to support road safety initiatives in meaningful ways.

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• Earl Lambert, GNRSC, Guyana National Road Safety Council, Road safety, stricter penalties

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