GPF records 15% decrease in fatal accidents

DPI Guyana, Monday, January 8, 2018

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has recorded a 15 percent decrease in fatal accidents and a 12 percent decrease in deaths. There was also an 83 percent decrease in deaths involving children on the road.

For 2017, there were 100 cases of fatal accidents, which resulted in 115 deaths. This amounted to 17 accidents less than 2016 and 13 deaths less than 2015. Of the 115 deaths, 71 (62%) resulted from a combination of speeding (51 fatal accidents), speeding and drink driving (15 fatal accidents) and drunk driving alone (five fatal accidents).

During a recent press briefing, Acting Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine said that the decrease in road fatalities could be accredited to several factors, including ‘Operation Safeway’ which was launched during the latter half of 2016. At the time, there was a 33 percent increase in accidents and a 17 percent increase in deaths.

Simultaneously, 185 lectures were conducted at schools across the country, and 29 youth groups and four corporate entities benefitted from proper road usage awareness exercises.

Commissioner Ramnarine, however, noted that while the decrease is commendable, citizens must be more introspective and make the commitment to be more responsible in 2018.

“I maintain that in those 71 deaths that resulted from drunk driving, they were what I called suicide because suicide refers to when someone of the age of discretion voluntarily and intentionally kills his or her self. And I will not refrain nor retract this description as rude and as hard it may come across to be. That is the reality we must accept,” the Top Cop stressed.

He opined that it is worrying, that some Guyanese exhibit a carefree and stubborn approach when using the roads. “…Even though we have laws for speeding, drunk driving, use of cell phones while driving, not wearing safety helmets, seatbelts, yet the gross disregard for our personal safety and the safety of others is alarming…I hope that this year, citizens will listen a little more and be more responsible.”

He urged the public to be responsible when using the roadways, so as to further reduce the number of fatal accidents resulting from drunk driving.

Additionally, some 78,763 cases of speeding, drunk driving, operating private hire, use of cell phones while driving, unlicensed driver, breach of traffic light signal, breach of tint regulations among others, were made in 2017, as against 70,609 in 2016 – a 12 percent increase. A total of 9,064 drivers were also subjected to the random breathalyzer’s test, 3,461 of were found above the legal limit.

 

By: Synieka Thorne

 

 

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