Given the alarming number of road fatalities, injuries, and damage to property occurring on our roadways, it is welcoming news that the Guyana Police Force has launched a campaign to address the recklessness on our roadways.
The campaign, ‘Respect the Road’, will focus on education and enforcement, but, more importantly, would be held in collaboration with key partners.
According to the GPF, the core elements of the campaign are:
1. Branded road safety materials: This will serve as a powerful visual presence that would reinforce the road safety message. Through billboards, signs, bumper stickers and other media, streets and roadways will be saturated with reminders to be vigilant, cautious, and respectful on the roads. These visuals are intended to serve as constant cues, urging drivers, pedestrians and passengers to prioritise safety at all times.
2. Social media campaign: Social media is a potent tool for spreading awareness and influencing positive behavioural change. Hence, social media campaigns will engage citizens through informative content and eye-catching graphics, encouraging everyone to promote road safety by sharing experiences, tips and best practices in the fight against road accidents.
3. Road Safety school campaign: The ‘Respect the Road’ school campaign will aim to instill road safety habits from an early age. A designated mascot, ‘Cautious Chris’, will interact with students, making learning about road safety fun and memorable. This mascot will visit schools nationwide, teaching our young generation to be responsible road users and safety ambassadors.
4. Road Safety event campaign: Bringing communities together by conducting outreaches and workshops to foster a deeper understanding of road safety principles, workshops will be tailored for various demographics – drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and passengers. By promoting dialogue and interaction, we intend to create a sense of ownership and collective responsibility for road safety.
This year will go down as yet another year when Guyana experienced some of the most horrific road accidents, resulting in the loss of lives and injury to countless others. Traffic statistics released by the GPF shows there has been a 26 per cent increase in overall traffic accidents, and a 30 per cent rise in fatalities during 2023 so far, when compared to the same period last year.
The reasons for the high rates of road accidents are well known, and there is no need to rehash them here, except to say that while there are various factors that impact road safety, there is little doubt that the single most important one in a general sense is enforcement of the traffic laws. Government has enacted the relevant legislation in relation to driving under the influence, loud music in vehicles, overloading, speeding, etc, but if the laws are not adequately implemented, they become useless. It would be interesting to find out how many drivers/conductors who are stopped for breaking a traffic law/s are actually charged and brought before the courts.
Further, besides enforcement of the traffic laws, there are several actions which could be taken immediately to reduce the number of road accidents here. Authorities should immediately ensure parapets and roadways are cleared of all encumbrances: such as old, abandoned vehicles, tractor-trailers, carts, etc, as these have been known to contribute to accidents. At the same time, tougher action should be taken against persons who are bent on encumbering the roadways.
We had also made the point before that Guyanese need to move away from the culture of disregard and irresponsibility in relation to using the roadways. For a small country such as ours, we cannot afford to continue along this path. The number of deaths and disabilities as a result of road accidents is indeed very worrying, and something must be done urgently to bring a halt to the level of irresponsibility and recklessness on our roadways.
