A NEWS report headlined “Road Safety Education Enforcement Awareness Campaign” disclosed that the Ministry of Home Affairs had officially launched its Road Safety Education Enforcement Awareness campaign.

Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn and Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill initiated the campaign by participating in road block and education exercises on Vlissengen Road and along the East Bank Public Road.
Minister Edghill urged drivers to observe the road rules, including the ‘Five Cs’.
The report stated that traffic police officers and representatives from the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) also participated in the exercise. The team also distributed pamphlets and masks and reminded drivers to adhere to the COVID-19 preventative measures.

The carnage on Guyana’s roadways not only leaves dead and wounded victims, but also immeasurable desolation and grief: mothers, fathers, children, wives, husbands, grandparents, uncles, aunts and members of extended families are left with the trauma, pain and sense of loss that might be reduced with the passage of time, but which never truly goes away.
The fallout of orphaned children left to the mercies of an uncaring society oftentimes exacerbates the societal problems caused by consequential juvenile delinquency.
There have, over the years, been several initiatives by successive governments and the Guyana Police Force in a bid to control reckless and irresponsible usage of Guyana’s roadways, but the carnage continues.

In December of 2019, the olice launched a major, aggressive road-safety operation as part of its efforts to reduce traffic accidents. The traffic plans were finalised for 2020.
Code-named “Safe Road,” the operation was programmed to be conducted in all 10 administrative regions.
The operation followed a meeting with Commissioner of Police Leslie James, and all traffic heads countrywide at Eve Leary in the Commissioner’s Conference Room. In the meeting, the Traffic Chief made two power point presentations, highlighting traffic plans for 2020 and plans to deal with extant traffic issues.

Operation “Safe Road” commenced from 06:00hrs on Sunday, December 15, 2019 across the 10 administrative regions.
Road accidents, especially over weekends and holidays, are directly attributable to speeding and alcohol as the main factors, which have led to tragic outcomes that devastated innumerable families over decades since automobiles were introduced to Guyana’s travelling public.
There needs to be a holistic approach, involving the police force, road-safety bodies, civil societies and all road users, even pedestrian traffic, all of whom will have to play a role to make the roads safer.

The issue of road safety has been a recurrent feature engaging the attention of successive police commissioners. Carelessness and speeding, mainly by minibus and taxi drivers or young joy-riders and party-goers, have been the primary cause of accidents. There are also allegations that many inexperienced drivers paid bribes for their driver’s licences.
The unnecessary loss of lives, disabilities and injuries, as well as damage to property caused by accidents on the roads can be avoided if due care and consideration can be taken by road users.
There needs to be zero tolerance for infringement of traffic laws, especially for driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding, playing loud music and the use of cellular phones while driving.