Suggestions for improving road safety

THE RECENT SPATE of accidents, some resulting in road fatalities, has sparked much concern about road safety in Barbados. I see a lot of carelessness on our roads both by pedestrians and motorists alike, and so I would like to offer four solutions to improve road safety.

Firstly, more education about/promotion of defensive driving, as well as anger management programmes, needs to be put in place. We have a lot of very angry, impatient and discourteous drivers on our roads, and they unfortunately influence their young children to be of the same mindset, thus perpetuating their undesirable practices.

Many accidents and fatalities can be avoided if only we would react to situations in a controlled and patient manner.

Secondly, pedestrians, too, have their role to play in road safety, not just for themselves but others, including motorists. Pedestrians need to be more mindful about how and where they walk; the colour of clothing they wear; staying alert; and abstaining from other unsafe practices like playing football or cricket near the side of the road.

While many of us jaywalk, especially due to its convenience, Government may need to halt this practice at least in areas that are heavily trafficked as this has resulted in quite a few road fatalities over the years. 

Thirdly, stiffer penalties need to be enforced or put in place to deal effectively with those who drive under the influence (DUI), use cellphones when driving, drive with expired licences, have no valid car insurance, have extremely noisy vehicles, have car lights that do not work or are partially functional, run red lights, do not observe speed limits and those who commit lawless acts on the road such as doing wheelies.

Finally, there needs to be proper marking of street signs, road markings and lighting on our streets. I am appalled at the amount of inadequate lighting and lack of proper markings on our roads, especially on those that are heavily used. Also, underpasses or overpasses need to be built to facilitate easy and safe commuting for pedestrians.

– CHRISTOPHER ROLLINS