President of the Barbados Road Safety Association (BRSA), Sharmane Roland-Bowen.
President of the Barbados Road Safety Association (BRSA), Sharmane Roland-Bowen, is urging drivers to slow down on the nation’s highways and byways.
Moreover, she is making a special appeal to persons to act responsibly and plan ahead to give themselves sufficient time to get home before the 9 p.m. curfew that is currently in place.
During a recent interview with The Barbados Advocate, she expressed concern that there are too many people speeding in an effort to get home on time, and taking risks that could result in them becoming involved in an accident or even causing others to do so.
“What I would say to drivers is to make sure you have ample time to get home before the curfew, so that you do not have to be rushing. If you plan ahead, then you would not have to speed,” she maintained.
Reiterating the call for drivers to slow down, she lamented that too many persons are driving above the speed limit or at speeds which are not suitable to the road conditions, and putting the lives of themselves and other road users in jeopardy. The road safety advocate made the point while noting that speed is said to be the leading cause of most fatalities and serious accidents recorded worldwide.
“We need to avoid taking risks, such as speeding and overtaking vehicles when there is oncoming traffic. The fact is that speed can drastically affect the severity of an accident,” she stated.
Meanwhile, the BRSA president also took the opportunity to implore drivers to limit their time on the roads, as the country grapples with the recent spike in COVID-19 cases. She says where people have to go out, they should exercise the utmost caution when driving to avoid becoming involved in accidents.
Roland-Bowen noted that while there are a number of individuals currently working from home and school is being conducted online, there are still a considerable amount of vehicles traversing the island. She said that at this time when there is a high risk of contracting the coronavirus because there is community spread, she would like to see reduced traffic on the road, which she suggested could help to ensure there are also fewer accidents occurring. She made the point while stating that those involved in serious accidents often have to seek medical attention at the Accident and Emergency Department, putting added burden on the hospital, which has also been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I want to see the traffic on the road reduced, but if you have to go out, then kill a hundred birds with one stone rather than going out multiple times. I am saying the safest place is off the road. Nobody goes out there to get into an accident, but when it happens where do you have to end up? What we do not want is accidents adding to the burden at the hospital, and the fact is…there is a level of risk as it relates to COVID that persons are exposed to, by going to the hospital or any medical facility where multiple people could be,” she insisted.
(JRT)