– poor driver behaviour, disregard for road signs continue to cause accidents – Traffic Chief
Inspector K. Boodlal, who oversees traffic enforcement at the Den Amstel Police station on the West Coast of Demerara
The West Coast of Demerara (WCD) is grappling with a troubling surge in fatal road accidents, as Inspector K. Boodlal, who oversees traffic enforcement at the Den Amstel Police station on the WCD, disclosed that there has been a dramatic increase in fatal accidents this year compared to the same period in 2023-2024.
“[In] 2023 to ‘24, we had eleven fatal accidents from January to now, to date,” the Inspector revealed during a recent road safety programme. “And this year, from January to date, we have 40.” In response to the alarming rise in road fatalities, Inspector Boodlal outlined several ongoing interventions by the Traffic Department, including regular patrols, public education campaigns, and stricter enforcement against driving under the influence (DUI).
“We are trying our best to minimise it. We are trying to get less fatalities this year,” he stated. “We keep doing enforcements, lectures, DUI campaign. There’s every weekend from Friday to Sunday… even one day as well for the DUI campaign and the Wycliffe campaign, the same thing on the weekend.”
The Inspector also pointed to key areas within the division where fatal accidents tend to cluster, noting that wider roads sometimes invite reckless driving.
To counteract this behaviour, the department has deployed officers to patrol these hotspots daily. “We put system in place that we have ranks on the road. Every morning, we have patrols during the day… and with the cyclists as well.”
Despite the presence of speed cameras installed along the West Coast corridor, from Schoonord to Zeelugt, their effectiveness remains uncertain.
“We’re not sure if they are working, but they’re in place there,” the Inspector said.
He added that drivers appear to be gaming the system based on whether they detect a signal from the devices. “During the day, they take the time and drive… because they don’t know if it’s working or not. They’re looking for this red light.”
Still, the Inspector issued a stern warning to road users: “Drivers got to be very careful when they think that they might be beating the system… Because they don’t see the red light.” Just this month, official figures show that 62 persons died in the first half of 2025, countrywide, according to the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
The number of road deaths between January and June, 2025 was as a result of 58 fatal road accidents or a 16 per cent increase over the 50 for the corresponding period in 2024. Traffic Chief, Assistant Police Commissioner Mahendra Singh announced that “several fatal accidents were as a result of single vehicle collision on declared public roads where driver failure or negligence resulted in death.” Overall, 132 persons died in 117 fatal accidents in 2024.
Between January and June 2025, Guyana recorded 745 traffic accidents—a three per cent decrease compared to the same period in 2024. Of these incidents, 73 per cent did not require hospitalisation, 47 per cent resulted in no injuries, and 18 per cent required emergency medical technician (EMT) intervention for injuries such as fractures. Serious, minor, and damage-only accidents declined by eight per cent, five per cent, and three per cent respectively.
The Traffic Chief noted that poor driver behaviour and disregard for road signs continue to cause congestion and accidents. With vehicle numbers more than doubling in five years, new roads and targeted police deployments aim to ease traffic flow. To enhance road safety, the Safe Road Intelligent System (SRIS) is being implemented, featuring automated ticketing for speeding and radar speed signs. In 2025 so far, the Traffic Department has conducted 633 education sessions, 21 community outreaches, 12 defensive driving seminars, and produced ongoing road safety media content.
