Road Users Urged to Remain Vigilant to Reduce Fatalities

Road users are being urged to remain vigilant and exercise caution to further reduce traffic crashes and fatalities in 2025.

Addressing the recent launch of National Road Safety Month 2025 at Chambers Service Station in New Kingston, Head of the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB), Assistant Commissioner of Police, Dr. Gary McKenzie, said although there has been a reduction in road deaths, the number can be improved by practising vigilance when using the roads.

Information from the Island Traffic Authority (ITA) indicates that for the first quarter of the year, road fatalities decreased by 15 per cent, compared to the same period last year, reflecting encouraging progress in road safety.

“As we go through the rest of 2025, my appeal is for us to slow down. Let us exercise the kind of maturity, the kind of responsible behaviour that will see us maintaining our lives on the road,” Dr. McKenzie said.

As of June 16, 178 lives were lost in road crashes, resulting from 161 fatal collisions.

During the first quarter (January to March), Jamaica recorded 94 road fatalities resulting from 85 fatal crashes.

The most affected groups included motorcyclists, private motor-vehicle drivers, and pedestrians; with motorcyclists accounting for 28 per cent of fatalities, private-vehicle drivers 26 per cent and pedestrians 21 per cent.

“Over the years, we have struggled to keep ourselves safe while using the roads, largely because of our inability to be responsible, conform to rules, and be alert to the potential and real hazards that affect our movement. The result of this has been that we continue to have in excess of 8,000 crashes on our roadways yearly and we lose an average of over 350 persons on our roads, and this has been so for the past five years,” Dr. McKenzie said.

Motorists are being urged to reduce speed, avoid driving while under the influence, and to obey the Road Code.

“We note that the actions that cause most of these crashes and deaths are what I term voluntary actions. Why I say so is because we are killing ourselves by driving at excessive speeds, overtaking improperly, failing to drive to the left, and unfortunately some of our pedestrians are not using the roadway as they ought to,” he noted.

The Assistant Commissioner implored all road users to prioritise safety.

“Let us strive for safer roads together… . Let us slow down; let us reduce the crashes; let us save our lives in 2025,” he said.