The National Road Safety Council (NRSC) is greatly concerned about the fact that thousands of Jamaicans refuse to wear seat belts, especially in the back seats of motor vehicles during transportation on our roads. We must remember that the law requires us to buckle up in the front as well as the back of vehicles.

The Council wishes to reiterate its concern, given that it is alleged that the woman who died on Sunday, October 4 as a result of the motor car in which she was travelling, crashing into a wall along the Washington Boulevard, was not wearing her seat belt.

According to Paula Fletcher, Executive Director of the NRSC, many Jamaicans fail to realise that while travelling in the back of motor vehicles, they need to wear seat belts. She said they make themselves vulnerable to crashes, as do motorcyclists and pillions who travel without helmets.

“Despite our gains of 2012, Jamaica has already recorded 9% more road fatalities since the start of the year in comparison to 2014. Nine months and 7 days into the year and as at October 7, our nation recorded 262 crashes resulting in 282 fatalities, as opposed to 237 crashes which resulted in 258 fatalities in 2014. This is bad for our country,” Mrs. Fletcher said in an interview on October 7.

Fletcher announced that motorcyclists, for the first time, have created history by exceeding pedestrian fatalities since the start of 2015. To date 85 motorcycle drivers died in road crashes and most were unhelmeted. This represents a 93% increase over 2014 and a 130% increase over 2013.

“This is cause for great concern! This concern is compounded by the fact that most of these motorcycle drivers are from the western section of the island, where motorcycle taxis predominate as an accepted form of transportation by the community. Community members have been known to stone policemen who pursue these motorcycle taxi operators, who are operating in contravention of the law.”

Fletcher is calling on all persons to assist the Council in its fight to reduce road crashes.

“We need to return to a downward trend in fatalities. Our aim in Jamaica should be to go ‘Below 240’ fatalities as outlined under the national Below 240 Programme for 2013 - 2016. We Jamaicans all have a major role in reducing road crashes, especially in the western section of the island,” Mrs. Fletcher said.