Policeman being investigated for DUI amidst traffic campaign
MANY road users continue to speed, drink and drive despite the Police Traffic Department road safety campaign, with the focus on driving under the influence (DUI).
Ironically, the latest DUI case being investigated occurred last weekend when a rank lost control of a police vehicle in which he was rendered unconscious before being rescued.
His rescuers claimed he reeked of alcohol after the accident on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway. It happened on Sunday about 15:15 hrs when the injured policeman was at the wheel of pickup PMM 9609 that slammed into a ridge and ended up in some bushes.
The injured cop was the lone occupant of the vehicle.
Traffic Chief Neil Semple, in a previous interview, had reported 419 cases of DUI and 6,638 convictions for speeding this year.
The current road fatality figure for 2011 is 52 deaths from 45 accidents, so far, as compared with 41 deaths in a similar number of accidents last year.
Meanwhile, the latest road fatality is Ignatius Thomas, 55, of Lot 59 Burn Bush Dam, who was run over by a truck laden with sand, on Saturday, at Number Two Village Public Road, also in Canje, Berbice.
It happened about 18:30 hrs as Thomas, riding a pedal cycle, attempted to cross the roadway and GLL 7152, heading in the same direction, hit him.
The truck driver is in police custody assisting with investigations.
On Friday, two more persons were killed on the roads.
One of them, Garvey Simon, 28, of Goshen, Essequibo River, was fatally injured by a motor lorry about 17:30 hrs on Peru Trail, Bartica. GMM 6265 collided with an all terrain vehicle (ATV) on which Simon was the pillion rider and suffered injuries.
Elvis Jones, 27, of Bartica, driver of the ATV, was also taken to Bartica Hospital for treatment but Simon was pronounced dead on arrival at Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) after being referred there.
Seeranie Jagjit, 72, of Number 11 Village, died at 13:15 hrs on Friday from injuries suffered on D’Edward Public Road.
Police said she was among the passengers in mini-bus BNN 2323 on which the tyre of a wheel blew out causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Several others in the bus were injured but Jagjit, who was taken to Fort Wellington Hospital, at West Coast Berbice, as well, was pronounced dead at the GPH, too.
On May 12, 2011 –  non-governmental organizations (NGOs) ‘Alicea Foundation’ and ‘Mothers in Black’ hosted a function to inaugurate the UN Global Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011 -2020.
During that ceremony, Deputy Traffic Chief, Assistant Superintendent, John Daniels pointed out that the forum will act as a reminder to all road users in the wake of the alarming accidents rate countrywide.
He reported: “Over the last 10 years, 1377 persons were killed in fatal accidents. Of those, 199 were children, 568 pedestrians and 160 drivers. This shows that pedestrians are the most vulnerable.”
During the same period last year, there were 37 fatalities from 37 accidents and, for this year, there have been 49 fatalities in 42 accidents, Daniels said.
But he assured that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and its Traffic Department will continue to educate all road users and enforce the law where necessary and prosecute persons on the basis of evidence.
“We are trying our utmost to minimise the rate of accidents in our country through the implementation of overt and covert day and night patrols,” Daniels outlined.
He also revealed that, very soon, a road safety programme would be included in the schools curriculum, as efforts intensify to educate people on the proper procedures.