On Tuesday, Roland Lowe, the President of the Barbados Road Safety Association, proposed a new strategy to reduce the high level of road accidents. He emphasized the need for a fresh approach that encourages better road habits and appealed to drivers to adopt a new mindset.
The association has been pushing the message of driver education throughout the year and is seeking a change in people’s approach to driving and using the roads.
Lowe’s call for action echoes the concerns expressed by Commissioner of Police Richard Boyce over the doubling of road fatalities this year compared to 2022. In his Christmas address, Boyce stated that the number of traffic accidents causing fatalities had increased to 17, as compared to the previous year’s total of 8. This almost matches the number of persons who died from violent crime this year.
Lowe agreed that the trend is concerning and stressed the need for greater public education. He also emphasized the importance of involving all stakeholders in the effort to reduce accidents, including insurance companies, public service vehicle associations, government, and citizens.
He stated that a conversation with all stakeholders would be necessary so that they could work together to reduce the occurrence of accidents on the road and bring the number of fatalities down.
