Greater use pf Technology May Reduce Road Fatalities – Dr. Lucien Jones

Vice-Chairman of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC), Dr. Lucien Jones, is asserting that greater integration of technology on the nation’s roads may assist in reducing speeding, preventing accidents and deaths.

He says this includes the installation of cameras which will detect speeding, enforce speed limits, and reduce traffic collisions and injuries.

Speaking with JIS News, Dr. Jones notes that the Council is looking forward to the installation of the cameras which will analyse speed over distance.

He explains that as it exists now, a policeman stands in the road, points a radar gun, and checks the speed of motorists.

“There’s a more accurate way to do it, that is measuring speed over distance,” he states.

“For example, if you put a camera at the start (of) let’s say the East West Highway and you put another one at the end of it, your time covering the distance is automatically checked by the camera and if you arrive too early it simply means that you were speeding, it’s as simple as that,” Dr. Jones adds.

He says the installation of the devices can be done on other sections of the roadway as well.

“We believe this is an exciting way of getting the message to people that we can detect your speed…even if you don’t see a policeman on the road,” he states.

He notes that the measure would complement the new rules governing the use of the nation’s roads.

The new Road Traffic Act, 2018 and the Road Traffic Regulations, 2022 commenced on February 1. The legislative measures aim to better regulate and promote safe use of Jamaica’s roadways.

“The technology is [also] available where you can get a ticket by electronic mail, that’s also one of the provisions of the new Road Traffic Act and once that comes in, they can begin to detect speeding infractions and red light infractions and send out an advice by electronic mail. So, we are looking forward a whole lot to that aspect of it,” he tells JIS News.

He urges motorists to operate at a safe speed, which allows time and distance to take the necessary action to avoid a collision.

The new road rules cover distractive driving, a demerit system, outstanding traffic tickets, learner’s permit, new code governing the thread depth of tyres, and strengthening of the Island Traffic Authority to suspend and revoke driver’s licences, among others.

Meanwhile, Dr. Jones theorizes that sustained messaging on road safety may have a positive outcome on Jamaicans becoming better users of the road.

“I believe that we need to as a country and as a media, be more focused on road fatalities and road injuries during the entire course of the year and not just for it to be a seasonal event during the festive season,” he states.

He posits that the reduced number of road traffic deaths in the month of January, may have resulted from a combination of factors.

“One is the fact that the media has highlighted the whole matter of road safety during the festive season, but also the whole matter of the ticketing system and the amnesty…and therefore it was a talking issue and people were tuned into this issue of road safety,” Dr. Jones notes

“The combination of the exposure and the events surrounding the whole issue of the ticketing system made for good communication, so people started to listen [and say] road safety is serious business, let’s do what the advocates are saying and [be] more careful on the roads,” he reasons.

Thirty road fatalities were recorded in January when compared to 43 in 2022.

The National Road Safety Council was established in 1993 as a non-profit organisation by public and private sector interest groups.