Pedestrians Urged to Exercise Care on the Roads

Head of the Police Traffic Division, Senior Superintendent Calvin Allen, is appealing to pedestrians to exercise greater care on the nation’s roads.

Speaking at a JIS Think Tank on Tuesday (December 2), SSP Allen informed that 92 pedestrians have lost their lives on the roads so far this year, which is three more than the total number of pedestrian fatalities in 2013.

Approximately 50 fatalities were related to the actions of motorists, while about 42 lives were lost as a result of pedestrian error. This includes persons crossing the road at the wrong time and using cell phones or earphones while crossing.

“We continue to appeal to our pedestrians to use the road with the greatest amount of care,” SSP Allen said. “The pedestrian crossing is not a right. It must not be engaged unless all vehicles come to a complete stop,” he pointed out.

He said that the police will be intensifying its public education thrust “to make pedestrians more aware of the critical role they play in road safety and protecting their own lives.”

“If we could cut pedestrian fatality in half, we would be way down the ladder in terms of the overall world standard as it relates to fatalities,” SSP Allen said.

Pedestrian fatalities involving motorists include drivers losing control of their vehicles and crashing onto an embankment or sidewalk.

SSP Allen said that this is particularly a problem in areas where there are no designated walkways for pedestrians.

“This is one of the areas that we say to our pedestrians that you must always walk facing the oncoming traffic, so you put yourself in a better position to take some evasive action…in order to save your life,” he explained.

SSP Allen said the police will be working closely with the Transport Authority and the Island Traffic Authority to ensure order on the nation’s roads particularly during the holiday season.

“So, we are using this medium to appeal to road users island-wide to exercise greater care in the use of the streets,” he stressed.

Some basic road safety rules pedestrians are encouraged to follow include: wearing light coloured clothing at nights; walking in single file where there is no sidewalk or where the sidewalk is narrow; and clearly indicating to motorists and cyclists a desire to cross the road before crossing.