By Leonardo Blair, Staff ReporterA ROAD safety device to warn motorists about their speed was unveiled yesterday at the launching of World Health Day as Health Minister John Junor disclosed that road traffic injuries are now the most costly medical concern locally.
The Minister, speaking at the Excelsior Community College in Kingston, explained that on a list of top ten medical concerns, traffic injuries demanded the most expenditure.
"Here at home in Jamaica, road traffic injuries place a tremendous toll on our health care system," the Minister said.
BILLIONS SPENT FOR ROAD TRAFFIC INJURIES
"The Jamaica Hospital Morbidity Database has indicated that in 2002, injuries due to road traffic accidents required over 25,000 days of care for those admitted to hospital and cost the Government an estimated $518 million."
World Health Day, which is an annual event of the World Health Organisation (WHO), yesterday highlighted a number of concerns about road safety worldwide. The WHO estimates that an average of one million fatalities and more than 10 million injuries occur every year as a result of motor vehicle accidents which now costs the global economy in excess of US$500 billion annually.
This year the WHO hopes to raise awareness about the health, social and economic impact of road traffic accidents. Children, men and pedestrians are among the most vulnerable groups to traffic fatalities.
Mr. Junor in support of the World Health Day theme, 'Road Safety is No Accident', explained that the cost of injuries exceeded the cost of caring for people with obstetric, gynaecological, diabetes and cardiovascular illnesses.
According to the National Road Safety Unit, pedestrian deaths account for 30 per cent of all road fatalities. Men have also been deemed three times more likely to die from motor vehicle accidents than women.
In a bid to alleviate some of the road safety concerns, Robert Pickersgill, Minister of Transport and Works, also announced at the launch, the introduction of the driver feedback sign, an innovation of 3M Interamerica Incorporated.
"The sign is an interactive device that gives the driver feedback about the speed at which he/she is travelling," said the Minister. He explained that the sign provides motorists with real-time feedback on their actual speed, and also incorporates a Light Emitting Device (LED), that alerts drivers to adjust their speed once they are moving at a pace that is faster than the posted speed limit.
"Traffic statistics have revealed that speeding is the major contributor to traffic accidents and impact studies have proven that the driver feedback sign helps to reduce excessive speeding, not as an enforcement tool, but instead as an effective reminder to motorists to check their speed," said Minister Pickersgill.
The National Labour Day, to be celebrated on May 24, this year, was also launched at the same venue under the theme, 'Road Safety First - Avoid the Worst'.
