Police Commissioner, Leslie James last week stated that he was dissatisfied with the level of road deaths and accidents on Guyana’s roadways daily.
Speaking at an event, which was hosted at the Brickdam Police Station last week, the Top Cop revealed that Guyana is currently experiencing an increase in fatal accidents which have resulted in an uproar by citizens calling for the Guyana Police Force to do everything in its powers to reduce same.
“Recently, we have had an increase in sensational type of accident. Fatal accidents, serious accidents. To [the] extent that there is an outcry,” James added.
He reiterated that there is need for road users, both drivers and pedestrians, to change their attitude on the roadways to ensure the safety of not only themselves but fellow Guyanese as well.
“The factor of attitude, personal attitude, is a significant attribute to accidents. The way in which persons used the road is a significant contributor to the current [increase] of accidents and I would urge and I am imploring all users of the road, especially motorists [in] that category,” the Commissioner added.
This increase in road fatalities, he stated, has been caused, mainly, by persons driving at excessive speeds; driving under the influence of alcohol; driving without due care and attention and driving on roads which are congested or unsafe for other road users. He implored all road users to take all necessary precaution.
The Commissioner related that the errant road users who are responsible for the deaths will face the full force of the law.
“Please do so with moderation. There are smooth and long stretches of road in some part of the country, but it also has speed limits and you are reminded to drive within the speed limit. Those errant drivers you will be dealt with in a condign fashion,” he remarked.
As of December 20, a total of 120 persons lost their lives as a result of accidents – a figure which surpassed the total number of traffic fatalities in 2018.
Earlier in the month, Traffic Chief Linden Isles told <<<Inews>>> that these deaths were recorded from 98 accidents.
Recently, an accident occurred at Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, where a minibus slammed into a beverage delivery truck, resulting in the death of five persons. The accident reportedly occurred after the speeding minibus suffered a blowout.
With the recent figures, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) along with the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) have called for a national approach to curb the growing number of deaths on the country’s roadways.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), some 1.25 million people are killed each year in traffic accidents worldwide. Over the last 16 years, Guyana lost more than 1869 persons to road fatalities and this figure continues to rise.
