Exacerbated fatalities and reckless use of the roadways have led to the launch of a new campaign ‘Respect the Road’, to be undertaken by the Guyana Police Force in a desperate move to reduce accidents.
Launched on Monday, the holistic campaign will focus on education and enforcement for safer roadways in Guyana. This will be done through partnership with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), the private sector, telecommunication providers, non-governmental organisations among others.
The Force’s initiative was rolled out in collaboration with the National Road Safety Council, Impressions Inc. and supported by the Government of Guyana and other key stakeholders.
The core elements of the campaign will be comprised of a multi-pronged approach designed to engage citizens of all ages and backgrounds throughout Guyana.
These elements are:
1. Branded Road Safety Materials: this will serve as a powerful visual presence that will 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 prioritize safety at all times.
2. Social Media Campaign: Social media is a potent tool for spreading awareness and influencing positive behaviour 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 instil 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.
Just for 2023 so far, ticketing offences are in excess of 3000 where over 2000 persons have been charged. Acting Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken zeroed in that this has not been working to some extent. Despite harsher penalties for defaulters, violation of traffic laws remains high.
Added to this, road fatalities increased by 30 percent in 2023 when compared to last year.
Due to the influx of motor vehicles and increased usage of the roadways, plans have been put in place to sustain this campaign.
“Every day, we witness irresponsible behaviour by operators when using the roads and that all together, leads to or has the potential for tragedies that leaves families shattered due to injuries or loss of lives, dreams unfulfilled. I believe that together as a nation, we can create a difference and create safer roads for all road users,” he disclosed.
Speeding, driving under the influence, poor driver behavior, distracted driving and inadequate infrastructure are a few factors contributing to the alarming statistics.
According to the Top Cop, vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists must be separated from motorised traffic. Effective speed management infrastructure must also be in place. Commanders have been tasked with identifying areas in the regions where there is need for speedbumps.
From data, the Police Force recognised that more road accidents were occurring in the night. As such, resources were split to have greater presence on the roadways both in the day and evening hours.
Hicken assured, “Whether it is raining or whether it is sunny, you are going to see traffic men and policemen standing out there by day and by night…Continued collection and analysing of comprehensive road safety data is essential for identifying hotspots. Understanding trends and developing targeted interventions, this data can also be used to create and implement policies and take proactive steps to reduce the risk of accidents and fatalities.”
Apart from sensitisation at schools and the public domain, he underscored that vehicles must undergo regular inspections to ensure compliance. Refresher training for drivers is also under the Force’s radar.
“We have not been tracking refreshers driver training for members of the public. Coming out of this launching, we’re going to have people dealing specifically with the driving schools, certification, the way in which we conduct the practical driving exam, GRA and the e-ticketing system.”
Through collaboration with the telecom providers, drivers will receive SMS in relation to ticketing offences. Hicken opined that the downturn in traffic and crime offences should commence this month.
Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn pointed out that from weekly statistics, men between the ages of 18 and 42 make up the majority of traffic fatalities or drivers behind road accidents.
