UN Official Urges Police Not to Let Up on Road Safety

United Nations (UN) Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, is imploring members of the Police Traffic Division to remain resolute in carrying out their duties in order to ensure the safety of Jamaicans on the nation’s roads.

He was speaking to JIS News following a tour of the Police Traffic Headquarters in Kingston on August 9.

Studies indicate that the presence of traffic-enforcement officers on the roads will assist in reducing road crashes.

Mr. Todt, who is also President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), was on a one-day visit to the island.

He met with Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness; Leader of the Opposition, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller; Minister of National Security, Hon. Robert Montague; President of the Automobile Association, Earl Jarrett; among others.

Mr. Todt said that the meetings focused primarily on road safety and what measures can be undertaken to reduce crashes.

“All the ingredients are there; the goodwill is there,” he said, noting that the Prime Minister is committed to improving road safety in the country.

Mr. Todt informed that the FIA is working closely with Olympian Yohan Blake on the UN #SaveKidsLives campaign, which is co-led by children and calls for urgent action to halve road deaths and injuries by 2020.

“He (Blake) is very supportive, so I already feel that Jamaica…could be an example of what can be done and needs to be done,” he said.

The objective of the visit was to meet with local road-safety stakeholders and to have discussion on the nation’s road-safety programmes and the practice of safe motor sport.

The Jamaica Automobile Association (JAA) and the Millennium Motoring Club coordinated to host the visit.