The Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) has launched a series of activities to mark Road Safety Month, which commenced on November 1, 2011 with the theme ‘Drive Wise and Save Lives’. These include enhancing the awareness of schools’ road safety patrols; holding competitions for schools; visiting patients of the GPH; conducting training workshops for taxi services – drivers, the private sector, volunteers, ministries; and forming a road safety association in Bartica, among other things.
GNRSC has said that, while promoting road safety, it is appealing to all road users – be they pedestrians, motor vehicle drivers or cyclists – to be more responsible in their day-to-day activities on the roadways.
Recently, road accidents have been occurring almost every day in and around the city and areas on the East Coast and the East Bank of Demerara, the West Bank and the West Coast of Demerara.
Significant increases in road accidents have also been recorded in Berbice, known as the Ancient County, in Regions 5 & 6 (East and West Berbice), which is unusual for rural areas.
Major accidents resulted in losses of lives and serious disabilities to persons involved.
Almost all accidents have a great financial impact on our economy, and have distressed us emotionally and physically while significantly affecting the social lives of the affected families.
The current habitual blunders by many drivers are speeding, driving under the influence (DUI), total neglect for our traffic laws, and total disregard for the five Cs: care, courtesy, consideration, caution, and the use of commonsense while on the road.
The blatant disregard for traffic laws and traffic advisories are the major contributing factors for road accidents, which the association is desperately trying to reduce substantially.
Pedestrians and cyclists are also to be blamed for carefree and sloppy attitudes when using the roadways.
The reduction of road accidents can only be achieved with everyone’s inputs. So, again, the GNRSC is pleading with all road users and responsible Guyanese to join in their campaign to help stop the road carnage and the careless ways the roads are used, by adhering to the road safety and traffic laws to make our streets and roads safer.
Statistics from the Police Traffic Department, Eve Leary, Georgetown, yesterday said that 105 deaths were recorded in 96 road accidents for this year; while, for the corresponding period last year, from 94 road accidents, 108 persons were killed.