NRSC Partners with Police in Ensuring Safe Road Use

The National Road Safety Council (NRSC) is supporting the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) in ensuring a safe traffic environment, particularly during the upcoming festive season.

Through funding of US$400,000, the entity has procured additional monitoring equipment to strengthen the police’s efforts to reduce road crashes and fatalities, Executive Director of the NRSC, Paula Fletcher, told JIS News.

She informed that the JCF received 125 tablets in November to assist their work in the field to monitor speeding, as well as breath testing equipment (breathalysers) to check for excessive alcohol on persons found to be speeding.

“We are doing this in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to provide the JCF with additional breathalyser equipment, laser guns and tablets that they can use in their work,” she said.

“The police will be in the field with the tablets stopping persons who are speeding and checking their alcohol levels using the breathalysers to see if they are above the breathalyser limit,” she noted.

Mrs. Fletcher is imploring motorists to maintain a safe speed as they traverse the roadways and to have a designated driver if they consume alcohol.

“The Christmas season is coming, which means there will be a lot of partying and going to events, and alcohol factors in. What we advise at the NRSC is, if you are going to drink, don’t drive; get a designated driver. This arrangement must be made beforehand. Alcohol impairs your ability to make good judgement… so alcohol is a dangerous combination when driving,” she pointed out.

The NRSC Director said that the police will be out in full force over the Christmas season to monitor and encourage safe road use.

She is reminding persons that the penalty for driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol over the recommended limit is revocation of the driver’s licence.

“We want to warn persons to be responsible when they are on the roads, especially when it comes to the partying and drinking,” she emphasised.