All of us across the globe, regardless of ethnicity or nationality, see the old year out cherishing hopes and dreams for the new one. We may want to carve an entirely new path for our lives, drop a bad habit or just resolve to be kinder to ourselves and more loving to our neighbours.

At some level, we all wish for betterment and the new year brings a chance for this to happen. We have an opportunity for a fresh start and perhaps we may endeavour to correct the mistakes of the past year. However, while these are personal desires, there are issues within our society which need our attention and our concerted resolve to do better.

In this country one such matter is the carnage, which continues to take place on our roads, causing deaths that leave many, a parent, sibling, friend or relative untold anguish. We do not have the population nor the vehicular figures to warrant the high level of fatalities and road accidents registered each year.

And though this year the death toll has dropped by 30%, according to a report in this very paper, it is still too high. In addition, there has been an upsurge of 30% in accidents involving trucks, according to Guyana Police Force statistics. Truckers often disregard speed limits and common road courtesy in their bid to fetch more loads.

The figures also reveal that speeding is the leading cause of road accidents and fatalities, along with drunk driving. Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, recently suggested possibly tripling penalties for dangerous driving, but also called on all of us to take each death or injury on the road personally.

Certainly, in this new year, we all as road users – whether in cars, on motorcycles pedal bikes or on foot – need to take this matter more seriously and exercise greater caution on our roads. Drivers, in particular, should resolve to cease dangerous road practices and show greater respect for the highway code, which spells out the rules of the road.

Here I would like to point to the blatant disregard of many drivers to the rules governing pedestrian crossings. The highway code is clear that on approaching a crossing drivers must slow down and stop if someone is waiting to cross.

Pedestrians in this country often have to wait until some considerate driver decides to stop, and still, they have to look out for drivers proceeding in another lane who may not be prepared to stop. Worse than this is that drivers do not wait for a pedestrian to complete their walk across the road, but will begin to drive behind that person. Others may see a pedestrian at the crossing and still hurry to pass in front of them.

Many still continue to drive under the influence of alcohol – a major culprit in road accidents and deaths – and this has to stop. We are urged to designate a driver, who will not consume alcohol at social events where liquor is available and this we must do. If this is not possible then, when leaving, we should take a taxi to our destination.

In short, for this new year let us all resolve to be more cautious, more considerate and more courteous on our roadways. Let us resolve to see the figures for road traffic accidents and fatalities decline significantly in 2025.