Georgetown: As of Monday last, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Traffic Department for this year made a total of 46,266 cases against errant drivers of which 19,179 cases were for speeding and 786 for driving under the influence of alcohol, according to Traffic Chief, Senior Superintendent, Ramesh Ashram.
Additionally, the Traffic Chief noted that 1924 persons were charged for breaching traffic light signals and 986 for failure to wear seat belts while some cases were made out against persons who were using their mobile phones while driving.
On Monday the GPF commenced operations for National Road Safety Week, under the theme: “Stop Speeding; Don’t Drink and Drive. Stay Alive.”
“When we look at the comparison of last year and this year to date, we see clearly that there is an increase in fatal accidents,” the Senior Superintendent told this publication.
Further, he explained that for this year there were 115 accidents, resulting in 125 deaths. From the fatalities, five were children.
In comparison, he noted that the same period in 2019 recorded 84 accidents and 94 deaths. A significant amount of these accidents was caused by speeding and intoxicated drivers.
The senior superintendent noted that that fatal accidents in Guyana for the year thus far have increased by a 37 per cent when compared to the same time in 2019.
“Loss of lives on our country’s roadway is not acceptable, lost and injury received by a road user as a result of an accident will have an adverse effect on our lives, time and money or damage to property. In an effort to reduce these factors, all citizens of Guyana should adopt a holistic approach towards road safety,” the Traffic Chief explained.
He added that emphasis must also always be placed on the need to educate children on the safety rules when traversing roadways along with increased road safety awareness.
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