SSP Allen Warns Against Distracted Driving

Commanding Officer for the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Traffic and Highway Patrol Division, Senior Superintendent Calvin Allen is warning against the deadly effects of distracted driving.

Speaking at a recent meeting of the Rotary Club of St. Andrew North, SSP Allen said that distracted driving has led to many collisions on the nation’s roads, some of which were fatal.

“An ounce of distraction goes a long way. The three main causes of traffic collisions are excessive speeding, improper overtaking and drivers failing to keep left which is distracted driving,” he said.

According to SSP Allen, things that can cause a distraction include the use of cell phones, reading, eating and applying makeup, which he said are all dangerous while driving. He explained that many persons are of the view that they are able to multi-task, not realizing that the vehicle may be drifting or that numerous things can happen in a split second.

“The most obedient thing that you have is your motor vehicle. It is going to respond to your every demand, so if you are depressing the accelerator it is going to go faster. If you are not looking as you should, it is going to go where the steering wheel is taking you,” he warned. SSP Allen also expressed concern about a worrying trend, which is the loss of lives of young people in fatal collisions.

“When we look at the statistics for 2017, we see where 321 lives were lost. Of that number, persons between the ages of 20 and 34 years accounted for about 140 or approximately 43 percent,” he informed.

According to the senior traffic cop, strategies need to be employed regarding not just the enforcement activities by the police, but also public education which he said is key. “If we lose our young people we lose our future,” he pointed out.