Health Minister Underscores Importance of Defensive Driving

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, has underscored the importance of defensive driving, given the significant public health implications of road accidents.

“Road traffic accidents are a public health crisis and concern, though, oftentimes, it is not placed in that category,” the Minister said.

He was speaking during the fourth Crash-Free Defensive Driving Workshop, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre on Tuesday (November 28).

Dr. Tufton said data from 2021 showed that a staggering 6,700 road traffic crashes resulted in a number of injury cases.

He pointed out that men, most notably young males, and females accounted for one-third of these cases.

The Minister stressed that these statistics reveal the extent of the societal impact, causing inconvenience, pain, suffering, and mourning for countless families.

“There have been, up to this date, some 342 collisions, of which there were some 379 deaths. Most of these collisions happen due to speeding, shifting between lanes and pedestrians who are not observing the rules of the road, like walking out in the road [without looking when] crossing the streets,” Dr. Tufton outlined.

“All this justifies why a discussion of this (Defensive Driving Workshop) kind is very important, because the data points you in a direction as to where some of the root causes of the problems are,” he added.

Breaking down the numbers further, Dr. Tufton said motorcycle accidents have accounted for 119 deaths to date.

He pointed out that Westmoreland accounted for a significant number of the casualties, closely followed by St Elizabeth.

The Minister informed, however, that pedestrian-related incidents have resulted in 68 deaths.

“Those who survived have to be treated, and it is within that context that public health has to rise to the occasion and respond. Also, if you look at those statistics you will recognise that you would have [thousands of accident victims] interfacing with the public health system in a given year. So, from a public health perspective, the implications are significant,” Dr. Tufton added.

He, therefore, encourages increased focus on public health awareness, emphasising that citizens’ roles in spurring this is vital.

Dr. Tufton pointed out that complaints about hospital bed shortages often stem from the influx of accident victims requiring urgent medical attention.

The Defensive Driving Workshop, which was endorsed by Dr. Tufton, marks a significant step towards educating motorists about safe and responsible driving practices.

This is with the goal of preventing accidents and reducing the risk of injuries or fatalities on the road.