Police records 100% increase in traffic offences – Ramjattan
– as GNRSC launches Road Safety Magazine
As the Police record a 100 per cent increase in road accidents, the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) has launched its inaugural Road Safety Magazine.This forms part of the body’s effort to reduce the scourge of road fatalities. Under the theme, “Be Wise, Stay Alive, Stop Speeding, Don’t Drink and Drive”, the GNRSC’s Road Safety Magazine has the objective of educate children and adults on the proper use of the road.
A section of the attendees at the magazine’s launch
The magazine includes information on road signs, speed limits, traffic laws and a summary of accidents for the past 15 years which revealed that between 2000 and 2015, 2332 persons died as a result of accidents. Coordinator of the GNRSC, Ramona Doorgen noted that the rising number of road accidents has pushed the organisation to continue to implement education campaigns used to send road safety messages across the country.
Doorgen also pointed out that these accidents can have a devastating impact on victims and their families. Traffic Officer of Guyana Police Force, Deon Moore echoed similar sentiments, noting that his department recognises the importance of road safety.
“Every time there is an accident, especially where someone dies, it is hard to say [to relatives] that a member of their family has passed due to an accident… “we recognise the importance of road safety and we have been working very hard to ensure that drivers desist from those practices,” Moore noted.
Meanwhile, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan described the statistics on road fatalities as horrifying, noting that at the 31st week of 2016, there were 1096 traffic offences made out against speeding, alcohol use and inattentiveness, compared to 516 cases for the same period last year. Ramjattan says that more has to be done to reduce speeding and alcohol use. The statistics point to a 100 per cent increase from specified period of 2015 to 2016 comparatively.
“I just can’t understand what breeze in blowing over this country to make us so irresponsible, not loving life and at governmental level, the destruction and death that is caused by the non-adherence to the various regulations is massive,” the Public Security Minister noted.
He further expressed that the loss of life takes a toll on society and many families end up not being well taken care of as well as a loss of property. Ramjattan urged readers of the magazine to pay attention to all articles in the document. The Minister pledged more allocations for the Guyana National Road Safety Council.
