THE Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) and the Guyana Police Force’s Traffic Department on Friday last launched National Road Safety Month 2013 under the theme ‘Alcohol, Speed and Inattentiveness Cause Accidents; Drive Wisely and Save Lives’. 

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, speaking at the event held  in front of Parliament Building, said Guyana has seen some improvements in the accident rate due to Government’s programme to improve the roads which was decided 10 years ago when a study on road safety was done.
“The first three things that we should focus on are the issues of drunk driving…driving under anything that would mingle with one’s performance; driving rapidly, speeding and also in these days in particular, inattention to driving,” PM Hinds asserted.
According to a report from the Government Information Agency, Prime Minister Hinds expressed confidence that with everyone’s contribution, accidents can be decreased by 50% or more in Guyana. “We should come out with a campaign for a vigorous and widespread application of our rules or laws, our

breathalyzer test…Because the only way we (can) change the culture is that we have to put it up there in front of all of us together, we have to be consistently  applying our laws”, the Prime Minister declared.
Minister of Public Works, Mr Robeson Benn, in his remarks at the event, said: “Over the last few years, the last 5-10 years that there has been progress, we are on an improving road process, it could be the learning curve that we’re on is shallower than it used to be, that we

want things to happen faster than we want it to be,” Benn posited.

Having recently attended the Inter-American Development Bank’s review on road safety, traffic regulations and emission standards with respect to traffic safety and usage of the roads, Minister Benn said, “The statistics which were brought up indicated that Guyana has made the most significant

improvement in terms of road deaths, in terms of injuries over the last 10 years.”
Adults and parents need to set examples, and bad practices by the older ones shouldn’t be emulated by the younger ones, he pointed out.
PAHO/WHO Representative Mr. Adrianus Vlugman pointed out that in Guyana the use of alcohol and inattentiveness are the main causes of accidents.
Chairman of the GNRSC, Mr Norman McLean, alluded to the fact that Guyana continues to build bigger roads across the country, and pointed out that people can make a difference, and by setting better examples. On this note, he called on all drivers and road users to make this month a meaningful one.
An exhibition was also staged by the West Demerara Road Safety Association.