Motorists Warned About Careless Driving Beyond Curfew Hours

Motorists are urged to abide by the Road Traffic Act beyond curfew hours, says Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon. Robert Montague.

“I want to make that appeal, because during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are experiencing another pandemic of death on our roads. So far, some 428 Jamaicans have died on our roads since the start of the year and, strangely, of that amount, 33 per cent have died after curfew hours,” he noted.

Mr. Montague was speaking at a recent handover ceremony for 100 tablets donated by the Toll Authority of Jamaica to students from rural schools .

He further noted that the statistics gathered by the Ministry indicate that some motorists behave more recklessly because of the imposed curfew hours, which is between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. daily.

“The studies are telling us that people feel that after curfew they can drive a little faster. They tend to drink more and experiment on the roads… then end up in a fatal crash. So, we’re appealing to persons, if you are in a vehicle and somebody is speeding, be brave and ask them to slow down,” he advised.

Against that background, Mr. Montague noted that the Ministry will be implementing a campaign to alert motorists about road safety during the Christmas season.

“We have to be mindful, especially getting into the Christmas season, so that people don’t get too relaxed. At the end of the day, personal responsibility for your own life is what is important,” he said.