Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

With road fatalities in Jamaica surging past the 300 mark for the third straight year, the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) finds itself in a position similar to this time last year.

NRSC Vice-Chairman Dr Lucien Jones said it is back to the drawing board for the government-appointed organisation which launched its 'Below 300' campaign in October 2008 amid much fanfare.

"Because we went over 300 again, we certainly cannot be satisfied. When we started in 1993, the average (annual) figures up to then was 400," Jones told Automotives. "We have managed to bring the figure down to 300 but we still have a far way to go."

Figures bumped up

On Friday, figures from the Road Safety Unit (RSU) at the inistry of Works showed that approximately 303 persons have died in traffic accidents in 2009. There was a bump in figures following last Tuesday's horrific collision of two buses on the Chukka Cove main road, St Ann, in which four persons were killed.

Jones said the NRSC and the police are banking on the Ministry of National Security's revised ticketing system to reduce the number of accidents in 2010. It is expected to come on stream in some parishes by February.

The new process will see traffic cops utilising an electronic data base, which provides information on drivers or riders who have infringed. It will show if they have a record of delinquency and, if so, whether they have honoured court dates and paid fines.

Jones blamed a faulty network for the modest performance of the previous system which was introduced in 2004 and cost the Government $50 million to install.

Third-quarter dip last year

According to the RSU, there were 350 and 343 deaths on Jamaican roads in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Jones says fatalities in the third quarter (July-September) dipped considerably compared with last year, with around 20 deaths recorded each month.

That trend ended in November when over 30 deaths were recorded.

With many accidents occurring during the Yuletide season, Jones believes the eventual figure for 2009 may rival the last two years.

Interestingly, Jones said pedestrians and pedal cyclists accounted for most deaths, many of which took place at nights in the Corporate Area.

Several of the cyclists were hit from behind.

"What this shows is that pedestrians are not following instructions which is to wear bright clothing (at nights) and the cyclists are not wearing reflectors," he said.