President David Granger Urges Guyanese To Drive With Caution Following Spate Of Fatalities

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, December 5, 2019 (CMC) – President, David Granger, has issued a call for care to be taken on the roads, in the wake of a spate of fatalities, last weekend.

In a statement, yesterday, Granger said the “deaths, disabilities and injuries and damage to property, caused by accidents on our roads, are deeply distressing”.

“Road accidents represent a threat to human safety. Every accident is one too many; every death is too great a loss that our country cannot afford. The record is grave,” the president noted. 

He outlined statistics, related to road accidents, stating that young persons, between 16 and 42 years, comprised more than three out of every five fatalities.

Twenty-one persons, including three children, died as a result of 15 road accidents in November; while 114 persons, nine of whom were children, were killed in ninety-seven road accidents this year.

“This insane increase in road fatalities has been caused, mainly, by persons driving at excessive speeds; driving under the influence of alcohol; driving without due care and attention (or inattentiveness); and driving on roads, which are congested or unsafe for other road users, particularly pedestrians, 30 of whom were killed,” President granger added.

The President also called on all road-users to observe the Guyana Police Force’s code of behaviour, adding that he is confident “that the government, Police Force, non-governmental organisations – such as Regional Road Safety Associations – and civil society could combine their efforts to make road use safe for everyone.”

Meanwhile, Cordinator of the Guyana Road Safety Council (GRSC), Ramona Doorgen, in an interview with News Source Guyana, said the recent spate of road carnage is unacceptable, while pleading with drivers to slow down.

“Every death is really hard for the Road Safety Council, and to see the deaths alone in November, it is really unacceptable…We have had too much blood on our roadways,” Doorgen asserted.

She said drivers have developed a “don’t care” attitude about the fines, since the fines are low and very affordable.

The GRSC coordinator said the matter is actively engaging the attention of the Law Enforcement Sub-Committee, which is headed by Retired Senior Police Superintendent, Owen Trots.