Henry: Suggestion was somewhat casual but warrants consideration

Chairman of the Natio-nal Road Safety Council and third vice-president of the Jamaica Gasolene Retailers Association, Derrick Thompson, says he supports a suggestion by Transport Minister Mike Henry that drivers should be periodically retested as part of efforts to reduce road accidents.

"I fully support this call. It is something that we have been articulating for as we recognise that a lot of persons do not use the road correctly and disregard the road code," Thompson told The Gleaner on Sunday.

Speaking at Grennell's Driving School's 10th anniversary event at Waterfalls, Old Hope Road, Kingston, on Friday, Henry said just as it was mandatory, at a certain age, for a person to pass a medical test before a licence is renewed, he believed "in a cycle of driving you should have where you can go back to be tested".

Casual suggestion

Henry told The Gleaner on Sunday that, while his suggestion was somewhat casual, he felt it warranted consideration.

"It is something to be pursued in the future, that is why we have the simulators at the Caribbean Maritime Institute to test new drivers or retest drivers to improve driving habits," he said.

Henry added, however, that until such a system comes into effect, his ministry would continue its efforts to resocialise the public to participate in a more disciplined transportation system.

"All of these will have to be done over time ... we have brought in the yellow buses as part of changes ... the public will have to be stimulated and re-socialised over a period of time," he said.

Reduction role

In the meantime, Thompson said he believed that, if and when this system is implemented, it could play a significant role in the reduction of the high number of road fatalities.

"I think it would reduce the amount of fatalities each year and help to meet the target of below 300 fatalities on our road."

Additionally, he noted that this could help in tackling the issue of poor driving habits on the nation's roads.

"As we go along, we develop poor driving habits. Many of us, if we go for a formal driving test, would fail ... a man who just got his licence will observe the process better than those who have been driving for a long time. I think that after driving for five years one should go back to refresh their mind," he said.