41 accidents caused by DUI, speeding – traffic stats

A recent analysis of figures has revealed that almost all of the recent fatal accidents are linked to Driving Under the Influence (DUI) in Guyana.
During an interview with Guyana Times, a senior rank on Tuesday said that 48 fatal accidents were recorded for the year from January 1 to June 25, 2019. Of these 48 road fatalities, 41 were caused by DUI and speeding.
It was explained by that rank that DUI and speeding are usually recorded together as most times, “when persons consume alcohol they tend to drive at a fast rate of speed. Apart from that, their motor coordination skills would reduce thus causing them to be involved in an accident”.
As such, data was not specific as to how many fatalities were caused by drunk drivers only.
The rank also explained that from the 41 accidents caused by drunk driving, six of those persons were drivers, 14 were pedestrians and the others were pedal cyclists, motorcyclists and others.
He was keen to note that pedestrians accounted for the most lives taken by drunk drivers.
For this period too, 111 serious accidents were recorded, 13 minor accidents where persons merely received cuts and bruises and 34 damage accidents where vehicles received damage such as fender benders.
The legal limit for alcohol consumption in Guyana is 35 micrograms, which usually amounts to about two beers.
A report compiled by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) said that almost 1.2 million deaths are recorded worldwide every year due to vehicular crashes.
“In Guyana, the use of alcohol, speeding and inattentiveness while driving or using the road have been major contributing factor to death and injury,” the report stated.
Only recently, a 58-year-old West Coast Berbice (WCB) man had his driver’s licence suspended when he appeared at the Blairmont Magistrate Court charged for driving under the influence of alcohol.
On May 28, a pensioner was crushed to death in his car after a sand truck being driven by a drunken man crashed into it on the Corentyne Highway.
On April 21, a mother of three lost her life after she and her family were struck by a truck which was allegedly overtaking another vehicle on the Canal Number One, Polder Access Road, West Bank Demerara (WBD).
The driver of the truck was taken into Police custody and a breathalyser test was administered which proved that he was over the legal limit of alcohol consumption.