Arrive Alive president: Drivers, know your limitations

Halt erratic driving! The call was made by Arrive Alive’s president Sharon Inglefield, who expressed concern that there has already been three road fatalities for the year. At the end of 2012 there were 188 road fatalities an increase from 181 in 2010. “We really need to beg all our nation’s drivers to put a halt on erratic driving, especially since three families are now grieving.”

Inglefield reminded all technically skilled drivers not to overestimate their skills and underestimate the risk. “Safe drivers are not necessarily the most skilful drivers. Safe drivers are mostly the drivers who know their limitations.” She repeated Arrive Alive’s call for defensive driving to become mandatory.

“We would like to now also see the revamping of our Motor Vehicle Road Authority Act to include driver competency. Driving defensively is imperative to save lives. “It needs to be made mandatory within the act so that all drivers are skilled before they are allowed to drive on our nation’s roads, so they are technically skilled and drive defensively.”

Inglefield complimented Deputy Police Commissioner Mervyn Richardson on his drive to ensure immediate proactive policing on the roads. She also congratulated the Ministry of Transport which is about to launch an educational and awareness programme to support the past efforts of Arrive Alive and other stakeholders in road safety.

Last year, Cabinet approved $5 million for the National Road Safety Public Awareness Campaign which was launched in October. The first fatality for 2013 took place around 11.30 pm on January 1 when Patrick Umaid’s car slammed into a 20-foot trailer along the Uriah Butler Highway near Charlieville. The 37-year-old taxi driver died at the scene.

On January 2 an unidentified woman was knocked down and killed along the Priority Bus Route. On January 3 at around 2 pm Ishmael Williams died after a pick-up truck slammed into his motorcycle at Longdenville.