State Minister Says New Law Will Be Effective in Reducing Road Traffic Deaths

The new Road Traffic Act and Regulations indicate that the Government is serious about establishing and implementing an effective legislative framework to reduce the high level of road traffic deaths in the country.

This was emphasised by State Minister in the Ministry of Transport and Mining, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, at the Red Stripe ‘Responsibility Now’ Town Hall meeting, held at the company’s Spanish Town Road processing plant in Kingston on November 10. The forum addressed responsible alcohol consumption and road safety.

“This Ministry is serious about addressing indiscipline in the traffic environment and eliminating behaviour that puts you and others at risk. We are fighting to make our roads safer every day, and to secure a better future for our society. There are no illusions about the mammoth task we have, and we absolutely cannot do it alone. So, if we all do the responsible thing, we can achieve zero road crashes and fatalities,” he said.

The State Minister informed that statistics show that persons in the 20 to 24 age range account for the highest number of fatalities. This is followed by persons in the 25 to 29 age range.

As at November 7, 392 persons were recorded to have been killed in 340 fatal collisions since the start of the year.

“We still have 52 days left in the year and I don’t want to think about the possibilities of what that count will be if we continue on the current trajectory,” the State Minister said.

Thanking the company for its partnership in public education engagement, he noted that aspects of the new legislation directly address alcohol consumption by drivers and the associated fines for breaches.

Some key points in the legislation include the prescribed alcohol limit for persons with a driver’s licence, the breath alcohol concentration levels, and the prescribed limit for persons who are learner drivers.

A person driving with a learner’s permit must not exceed 0.01 per cent or 10 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, and a person accompanying the learner driver, who is a holder of a driver’s licence, shall not have a breath of alcohol concentration that exceeds 0.02 per cent or 20 micrograms of alcohol.

It should be noted that the Island Traffic Authority, which is the entity responsible for enforcing the Road Traffic Act, subject to section 26 of the Act, may, on considering an application for a driver’s licence, refuse a learner driver’s application for a licence if found in breach, and a holder of a driver’s licence who is accompanying the learner driver will be charged $12,000 if found in breach.

In addition, the law states that driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or other drugs to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the vehicle, is subject to a fine of $50,000 and, in default of payment, to 14 days’ imprisonment.

Fourteen demerit points will also be placed on the licence and may lead to the suspension of the licence for six months.