A woman appears deep in thought after viewing the burnt remains of a Toyota Fielder motor car which crashed Wednesday night in Runaway Bay, St Ann, killing one person. - Photo by Carl Gilchrist

A new traffic-ticketing system is to be rolled out by October 20, as the Government seeks to correct deficiencies identified in the existing one.

"What we are doing is taking the manual system which now exists and creating an automated system which will make it more efficient," National Security Minister Senator Dwight Nelson told The Gleaner yesterday. He added that motorists would also be more accountable on the spot.

He said the system "will provide the basis for sanctions for those who choose to manifest indiscipline and disorder on the roads".

No additional legislation

Nelson, who was speaking after addressing the launch of the National Road Safety Council/Jamaica National Building Society Road Safety Campaign at Jamaica House, also noted that no additional legislation was needed to put the system in place as the law already provides for it.

"The Road Traffic Act does not preclude such a system, the system exists now," he declared.

Nelson said the traffic-ticketing system was a major deficiency that the council has sought to address.

The inter-parish safety competi-tion is aiming to reduce the incidence of road deaths, highlight road deaths and injuries and their impact on families and commu-nities, as well as to communicate penalties and costs relating to dangerous driving.

Since the start of the year, there have been approximately 240 road fatalities. The latest road-safety campaign is intended to lend support to the Save 300 campaign - a move to keep road fatalities under 300 deaths per year.

Incentives welcomed

Nelson said any incentive to encourage the need to drive, ride and walk safely on our roads was welcomed.

"I also think that we have to back it up with sanctions," he added.

Nelson told The Gleaner that the sanctions, such as fines and point deduction from the licences, were already in place to deal with traffic offenders, but the new system is expected to be more effective in applying them.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who also spoke at the ceremony, said increasing the use of sur-veillance cameras and intercepting overloaded vehicles were other measures being put in place to promote road safety.

kimesha.walters@gleanerjm.com