Death stalks the west

Not so in London. Look how Metropolitan Commissioner of Police John Blair is under pressure to resign after a Brazilian national was mistaken for a terrorist and shot dead in London recently.

Police Constable Carlos Guerra was shot dead at Police Headquarters ten days ago while a colleague was cleaning a UZI weapon.

Is Commissioner of Police Trevor Paul under pressure to resign? The answer is no. Guerra’s death becomes another statistic, another life lost, and no one will be called upon to account.

Today, the focus shifts to the carnage on the nation’s roads and again, no one seems to care. There is one word to describe what takes place for driving — carelessness.

So far this year, there have been 123 road deaths compared with 125 over the same period last year. Of the persons killed this year, 45 were pedestrians, 43 drivers and 27 passengers. Six were pedal cyclists and two were motorcyclists. Of the people killed, six were under the age of 18.

While the road fatality figure is two less than the same period last year, some of the accidents could have been avoided.

There are several areas in west Trinidad and along the east-west corridor where little emphasis has been placed on care for persons using the nation’s roads.

COCORITE

Two young persons, Christopher Kevan, 18, and Tamara Shepherd, 20, died following a crash along the Western Main Road, Cocorite, two Fridays ago. It was just before midnight when a car travelling east, ploughed through a chain link fence and landed on top of another car going west.

This chain link fence was erected some years ago to prevent persons from crossing the busy Western Main Road. There is a walk over, but very few people use it. It has become a bother for many to climb steps to use the walk over. Although it is risky and very dangerous, most people living in Cocorite choose the "dash across the road" method.

The fence was erected by the Ministry of Works and Transport to stop people from crossing. Did it work? It slowed down the danger, but very soon, people using their own "jaws of life" cut holes in the fence and "dashed for freedom."

Well, statistics show that residents of Cocorite and environs were knocked down and killed while attempting to cross. Drivers using this road do not drive slowly. With the killer machines in their hands, some drivers believe they are warming up for an international car racing event in the United States.

There are many holes in the fence at Cocorite. Two Fridays ago, one car ploughed through this weak fence, catapulted to the other side and landed on another car resulting in the death of the two young persons.

The question which has been asked on many occasions — why were concrete slabs never used in Cocorite? If they were in position as a median in Cocorite, the risk of death would have lessened.

One eyewitness to the last fatal crash said a concrete barrier would certainly have stopped the car from going over to the other lane. The driver may have killed himself, but the persons in that ill-fated car going west would have been alive today.

BEETHAM HIGHWAY

These concrete barriers were put in position on the Beetham Highway (in front of NP) following several reports of vehicles crossing the low median and crashing into others. This area was made famous when business magnate Ram Kirpalani and former Chief Immigration Officer Joseph Bodkyn died in separate accidents there.

The concrete barrier was not extended all the way up the Beetham. Residents of Beetham Gardens have no walk over in this area, so there is a mad rush over the road when rubbish trucks make their way into the dump.

These mad scrambles have resulted in the death of several persons in the past. On top of that, the area is pitch black at night especially when pedestrians wear dark clothing.

CHURCHILL ROOSEVELT

HIGHWAY

The concrete barriers are in full flow on the Churchill Roosevelt Highway from Barataria to the El Socorro traffic lights. This certainly has had a positive effect on the accident rate on this section of the highway.

But it has not put a dent on pedestrian deaths. There is a walk over closer to El Socorro, so what do residents around Courts and Solo do? Take a chance and run across seven lanes of speeding traffic with the hope of reaching the other side safely.

Who ever placed the concrete barriers there, left a huge space to facilitate pedestrians "to take their chances."

Drivers use the opportunity to speed on this section of the highway. While vehicle casualties have slowed down, pedestrians continue to be killed. Why? They ignore instructions and feel they are faster than Darrel Brown and Marc Burns.