Road Safety Council urges safety for the holidays

As the rainy season is upon us and so is the holiday season where many people are engaged in the intake of alcohol beverages, the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) is pleading with citizens to be safe on the roadways during the holidays.

In its Christmas message to the nation, the GNRSC is pleading with drivers to “be your brother’s keeper”.

“Too many needless deaths are happening on our roadways, we need to join hands and tools, to destroy this carnage that is plaguing our roadways… These deaths don’t have to happen if road users adhere to all road traffic rules and signs, and signals safety indicators ensure us if we use proper safety helmets, seat belts etc.correctly  and all safety engineering measures are in place you can save life and injuries in some cases by  75%” the Council said.

The year 2016 has surpassed the death rate for 2015 and the council is working towards reducing death by 50% by the year 2020, as declared by the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety. According to the Guyana Police Force (GPF), there was an 11% increase in fatal accidents. The GPF recorded 115 fatalities at the end of November, compared to 112 for the same period last year.

It also calls on the Ministry of Public Security to fast track the High-Security Number Plate system to assist in  Speed management, which it believes will reduce speed and a lot of other road traffic issues.

“Don’t Drink and Drive, Designate a driver, call a family, call a sober friend”- Message from the Guyana National Road Safety Council.