Decrease in deaths from road traffic accidents

Ag Snr Supt Basdeo Ramdhanie, of the Traffic and Highway Branch, who made the announcement at Wednesday’s police press briefing at police headquarters, Port-of-Spain said there has been a 25 per cent and 30 per cent decrease respectively.

Ramdhanie said 19 of those killed were drivers, 18 were pedestrians, three were motorcyclists, two were pedicyclists, and seven passengers. He said the police considers one fatal accident to be too much.

“When compared to the corresponding period 2016, we had 61 fatal road traffic accidents and 70 deaths. Ramdhanie said.

“I would like to implore motorists to observe the traffic laws and to take all the precautions to ensure their safety, the safety of their passengers and other road users especially during the rainy season.” He said drivers should ensure their vehicles are in good working condition and should pay particular attention to their brake systems.

“I would encourage and implore that people adhere to the speed limits. It is 80 kilometers (per hour) on the highways for private vehicles and 65 for goods vehicles. Try to be safe, try to comply with the laws and together we should be able to make the roadway safer and reduce the number of fatalities and injuries to our people.” Ramdhanie called on drivers to be alert for pedestrians in areas where lighting on the roadways are poor, and to limit doing anything while driving which may cause a distraction.

He said pedestrians account for 37 per cent of road deaths for the year.

During speed exercises with the use of the speed guns from May to December last year, 11,294 tickets were issued for speeding and in 2017, 10,160 tickets have been issued.

Traffic Branch police also issued 7,284 tickets for varying traffic offences and performed 16,070 patrols.

“As of July 3, 2017, the Traffic and Highway Patrol Branch has conducted more than 5,831 tests for breath alcohol readings and 1,128 people were found to be above the accepted level of 35 micrograms, of that amount, 355 persons were charged.” When asked about drivers warning other drivers on the opposite side of the highways during road exercises Ramdhanie said, “If all citizens can sensitise the public in terms of what is happening with the speed exercises and they can do it with the other areas in crime, it will be nice. It will have less crime in the country. All citizens should obey the traffic laws and there will be no problem.”