by Francis Quamina Farrier

IT wasn’t my intention to return to the issue of fatal road crashes until the end of the year, having dealt with that gruesome topic just two weeks ago.

My decision to revisit the issue so quickly, however, is because, even before my article “Driving responsibly never gets old” was published on July 16, 2017, in the Chronicle Pepperpot section; three deaths resulted from a two-vehicle crash on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway on the evening of Friday, July 14, 3017.

In my Pepperpot Feature of Sunday July 16, 2017, I mentioned that there were 50 road fatalities for the period January 1, 2017 to June 30, 2017, which was a 25 percent reduction for the corresponding period of the previous year.

Even though the Police Traffic Department, and the rest of Guyana were hopeful for a reduction of traffic fatalities to continue, the news of another fatal crash on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, resulting in the loss of three lives, was announced.

There have been scores of fatalities on that highway over the years, including the two young daughters of then Prime Minister (and later President), Desmond Hoyte. But what is not generally known, is that the very first fatality on that Soesdyke/Linden highway, occurred even before its completion.

It was what could be described as a freak accident; a senior American Manager of the Construction Company, BB McCormick, was run over by a bulldozer. He died on the spot. The body was not mangled since the tragedy occurred on a sandy stretch of the road work in progress.

To ascertain whether Guyana is likely to record a higher road fatality figure for the second half of 2017, I checked with the Police Traffic Headquarters for the figure for July, 2017; it was given as eight. In July 2016, seven persons lost their lives on our roads. In July 2015 the number of fatalities was 14.

In 2016 those who lost their lives on our roads for the second half of the year, was sixty one, a decrease from the corresponding period for 2015, which was 68. The question now is, “How many more will die on our roads during the rest of this year, 2017?”

In his article in the Catholic Standard dated August 7, 2009, with the headline “Road fatalities”, Vibert Parvatan wrote: “The foremost contributory factor in road accidents is unquestionably, speeding.”  Later that very year, Vibert Parvatan revisited the issue with another article with the headline “Road accidents”, in the Catholic Standard dated November 27, 2009. He stated, “It is disgusting, frightening and sad to read of the many lives lost on our road ways.” Those Vibert Parvatan viewpoints are as timely today, as they were almost nine years ago, even as we reflect on the hundreds of lives which were snuffed out due to fatal road crashes, as a result of speeding vehicles.

Looking back 16 years to May 2001, it would be recalled the horrible crash on Mandela Avenue in Georgetown, involving a car driven by then TV Sportscaster, Carwyn Holland, who was the victim of three speeding mini buses which crashed into his car. Fortunately, although suffering serious injury, Carwyn Holland survived, and is now the Mayor of the Town of Linden.

So, will speeding slow down and stop on the roads of Guyana? How many more must die?