By Trudy Simpson , Staff ReporterTODAY'S LABOUR Day activities will concentrate mainly on road improvement projects, aimed at improving pedestrian safety, especially the safety of school children.
Jamaica's traffic accident rates and the rates of pedestrian deaths are among the highest in the region, says Paula Fletcher, executive director of the National Road Safety Council. An estimated $15 million has been allocated to projects for Labour Day, which is being observed under the theme 'Road Safety First Avoid the Worst'.
"Jamaica is estimated to be among the top five countries in the Caribbean in terms of traffic accidents per capita," Ms. Fletcher said. The accidents are most often caused by bad choices on the part of drivers, who speed, fail to observe road signs, and do other activities which contravene the road code.
ROAD-CROSSING METHODS
Also, the police have found that poor road-crossing methods by pedestrians have contributed to the high number of pedestrian fatalities. Their deaths account for 30 per cent of deaths from traffic accidents and one third of that 30 per cent are children, Ms. Fletcher said.
"Now that's pretty high and the impact is tremendous," she continued, adding that loss of life from traffic accidents has resulted in pain and suffering or loved ones left behind, some of whom have ended up committing suicide.
Accidents also result in lost potential and investment in children, loss of families' major bread-winners and loss of production hours in persons who are killed or severely injured, she said.
That is why the National Road Safety Council is pleased with this year's focus on road safety, which continues with activities today.
TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
Last week, The Gleaner reported that the theme was chosen in the face of worrying statistics recorded by the Road Safety Unit, which showed that up to then, there were 98 deaths from 91 traffic accidents since the start of the year. Eight children have died as a result of these accidents.
Earlier this month, Maxine Henry-Wilson, Minister of Education, noted that statistics from the Road Safety Unit indicated that in 2003, Jamaica recorded 4,432 traffic accidents, 392 of which resulted in fatalities, with 51 being children. The statistics further revealed that 29 of the children were pedestrians, either crossing the road or standing on the sidewalk.
The Jamaica Injury Surveillance System showed that in 2003 pedestrians accounted for the majority (39 per cent) of the persons who visited the accident and emergency departments of nine government hospitals and subsequently died from motor vehicle accident-related injuries; 44 per cent of the children were under 18 years old.
Labour Day will focus also on the promotion of a campaign which was started to encourage pedestrians to 'PUT YOUR HAND UP IN THE AIR' to signal that they want to cross the road. The aim also includes getting drivers to pay attention, stop, and allow pedestrians to cross when they put their hand up in the air.
This continues activities which were first launched on April 7, 2004, dubbed World Health Day. It was observed internationally under the theme 'Road Safety is No Accident'.
The Jamaican focus was on pedestrian safety. The objectives were to raise awareness about the health impact, social and economic costs of road traffic incidents, highlight the particular vulnerabilities of certain groups of road users, and issue a call for action to increase efforts to prevent road traffic incidents, a health ministry release states.
