74 killed so far in road accidents; majority were motorcyclists

For the year so far, a total of 74 persons were killed in road accidents, Traffic Chief Senior Superintendent Linden Isles told the News Room Friday.

A total of 71 road accidents were also reported representing a 25% increase when compared to 2019 figures. The death rate also represents an increase of 23%.

The majority of the fatalities involved motorcyclists.

“We found most of the accidents involved motorcyclists and most of these motorcyclists were not wearing their safety helmets,” the Traffic Chief stated.

As a result, most of the victims died or suffered head injuries.

Last year for the same period, there was 67 fatal accidents with 60 deaths; overall for 2019, there were 117 fatal accidents with 127 deaths.

The Guyana Police Force last year embarked on a campaign of ‘Operation Safe Roads.’ The operation was launched following an increase in road accidents and was aimed at addressing drunk driving and speeding across the country.

Drunk driving and speeding are the most prevalent causes of road accidents.

The Traffic Chief is advising road users to obey the COVID-19 restrictions and also use the road with care.

He also noted that the increase is worrisome because there are improved roads but drivers are not adhering to speed limit.