The Guyana Road Safety Council and the Traffic Department has launched its annual road safety month observance. The observance started on Tuesday with an interfaith ceremony at the Police Training Centre at Eve Leary while also remembering those who fell victim to the scourge of reckless driving.
During the month-long celebration, a number of sectors will be targeted to ensure that road safety regulations are being followed. Additionally, the council will be hosting a number of sensitization meetings with all categories of road users.
Assistant Secretary/Treasurer of the National Road Safety Council Earl Lambert said, “We are going to be targeting minibus drivers, hire car drivers and truck drivers and we are going to have discussions with them.”
Lambert pointed out that over the years, the council has observed a heightened interest in road safety from road users. He noted that now, most road users are aware that stringent enforcement is usually deployed during the month. He suggested road safety awareness be a year long activity.
“What we have observed for the month is that people will observe what is taking place and after that their back to their lawless behaviour, so we would like to do one whole year so that we remain active all the time and not just one month,” Lambert noted.
The death toll on Guyana’s roadways has already surpassed the figures of last year. The month of September is considered the deadliest month of the year so far. The month of October had also seen an increase in fatalities.
The statistics indicate that 75 persons lost their lives in the same period in 2021. The figures this year have shown that 89 persons were killed in road accidents; among them are five children.
