Dear Editor,
Reference your editorial “Death of Navendra Mahes” (Nov 1)! My heart bleeds for the family. Has government and or major businesses reached out to assist this family (a widow and her daughter). You aptly describe the increase in road deaths as carnage. Is traffic management chaotic, as you suggested? There have been too many vehicular deaths in Guyana for the small size of our population over the years; the numbers have increased over last year. It would seem that the roads are a killer, a danger to peoples’ lives. Or is it the vehicles? Or the drivers? (Are drivers properly trained and licensed to handle a vehicle?
There are too many vehicles on the roads, a result of higher standard of living. Do we need more lanes? Should government consider a light (overhead) rail over the old rail line and one that also goes to Timehri airport to reduce road traffic? As families become wealthier, they will purchase vehicles that will further choke traffic and inevitably lead to higher incidence of accidents.
Something must be done about this high incidence of traffic fatality. Some accidents should have been avoided as in the run over of this school boy and crashes of vehicles running into parked vehicles and other road encumbrances. Speed, inexperience, and lack of driving patience and concentration behind the wheel could also have been factors.
Few seem to care about road fatalities as not significant effort seem to be made to address the situation; or if made, they have not been effective. If one of these deaths was a result of an aviation disaster, there would have been an expeditious international investigation and immediate steps taken to avoid such disaster. Flight disasters, because of the global attention, invite immediate scrutiny and quick remedial actions but road accident deaths don’t attract quick attention. Life goes on as families mourn.
We got to do better to change Guyana’s disgraceful record in road accidents. What are the major causes of such high road accidents – road construction, speeding, untrained and unskilled drivers, human error, road rage, faulty vehicles, other factors? I am told that speeding is the leading cause of accidents. What effective steps are taken to reduce road speed? Are there enough road bumps in highly populated areas? Are drivers given safe driving practices? Is there any insurance discount for taking defensive driving class or for being accident free? The latter would encourage drivers to be more conscientious of road safety.
Some other factors that cause road accidents: potholes, dangerous curves, unlit signs, concrete and other impediments, lack of parapets, no crash barriers or energy absorbers. Better pedestrian infrastructure (crossing stop lights) and walkways can prevent many fatalities.
In the aftermath of an accident, is the health sector equipped to respond to addressing life threatening injuries?
Do we need a better emergency medical response? Speaking with the public, the country needs more ambulances plying the roads as in New York City in case there are accidents. Government and private ambulances must be mandated to respond to an accident as in America or developed countries. If an ambulance does not respond to an emergency, it can be fined or lose its license in USA; they are compensated by the victim or the state or insurance. In Guyana, the state can find a way to compensate the private ambulances in responding to major accidents with life threatening injuries. Accident victims (depending on severity) need urgent medical treatment. Ambulances and medical centers should work in collaboration on emergencies. As in USA. Victims are taken to nearest medical center.
A very thorough investigation, perhaps by an independent national commission, into road accidents is immediately needed that must also offer recommendations to address the major causes. In the meanwhile, government must take workable, effective measures to reduce accidents. Greater police presence on the road in highly populated areas would force motorists to reduce speed and drive safely.