KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jamaica has recorded a 14 percent decline in road fatalities this year, with the authorities indicating that there have been 417 road deaths up until Thursday, according to figures released by the Road Safety Unit within the Island Traffic Authority.
They said that the fatalities were from 377 crashes and represented a 14 percent decline, while fatal crashes have decreased by 11 percent when compared to the corresponding period last year.
According to the figures released here, males accounted for 88 percent of the fatalities, and the data indicate that vulnerable road users, which include pedestrians, pedal cyclists, motorcyclists, and pillions, accounted for 59 percent of those killed since the start of the year.
A breakdown of the figures shows that pedestrians accounted for 18 percent, pedal cyclists 6 percent, motorcyclists 31 percent, and pillion passengers accounted for 4 percent.
Private motor vehicle drivers accounted for 18 percent; private motor vehicle passengers, 12 percent; public passenger vehicle drivers, two percent; public passenger vehicle passengers, five percent; and commercial motor vehicle passengers, two percent.
The Unit urges road users to obey the rules and always take caution despite road crashes and fatalities trending down.
In 2022, the authorities said, 488 road fatalities were recorded on the nation’s roadways.
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