Plan to stop carnage on nation’s roads

IN a brief statement at a hurriedly called press conference yesterday, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Mobile) Curtis Lloyd revealed his department’s plan to deal with the carnage that has been taking place on the nation’s roads over the last year, while calling on drivers to take certain precautions.

“We have observed and put in place systems to deal with some of those causes which have come to our attention that is the root of these fatalities, like excessive speeding, ignorance of road conditions,  insufficient street lighting, use of dark clothing by pedestrians and chemicals used to boost up engines. “In time, we will be analysing all these problems with specific plans to deal with each individually.”

Making reference to the Arima Borough, which he claimed is traffic-free because of an experimental system used there, he hinted that similar systems will be introduced throughout TT. The ACP also pleaded with drivers/pedestrians to use several methods to prevent deaths on the roads. “Use designated drivers on every occasion you consume alcoholic beverages. Exercise adequate and due caution when crossing the street. Be careful on wet roads and strange places. Use seatbelts and proper working vehicles. “We cannot put a police at every street corner, so the responsibility lies on the shoulder of every citizen to prevent death.”

While not being able to make any statement on the overdue breathalyser or more stringent laws on the use of seatbelts, ACP Lloyd was quick to point out that various measures in specifics areas will be instituted shortly. He did not say what the specific measures were, or what areas would be targetted. The recent deaths of Shivan Sookoo and Dion Patel in an accident at Diego Martin over the weekend, which brought the current number of road deaths for the year to 191, is looked on as one case where death could have been prevented if certain precautions were taken. Sookoo was confirmed as not wearing his seatbelt. 163 people died on the roads in 2002.