Jamaica’s Minister of Well being and Wellness, Dr. Christopher Tufton has emphasised the profound influence of defensive driving on public well being.
Addressing attendees on the fourth Crash-Free Defensive Driving Workshop, which occurred on the Montego Bay Conference Centre in St. James on Tuesday, Dr. Tufton introduced into focus the troubling statistics associated to highway visitors accidents.
Highway crashes: A public well being disaster
Dr. Tufton commenced his handle by stating unequivocally that highway visitors accidents represent a public well being disaster, regardless of usually being neglected as such.
Backing his assertion with information from 2021, Dr. Tufton revealed {that a} staggering 6,700 highway visitors crashes resulted in quite a few harm instances.
Among the many victims, it was evident that younger women and men collectively accounted for one-third of the harm instances, emphasizing the breadth of the difficulty.
Figuring out root causes
Dr. Tufton delved additional into the info, offering insights into the basis causes of those accidents.
He identified that almost all collisions happen as a result of dashing, shifting between lanes, and pedestrians not following highway guidelines.
Fatalities breakdown
Breaking down the statistics, Dr. Tufton revealed that bike crashes alone have claimed 119 lives thus far.
Moreover, sure areas, like Westmoreland and St Elizabeth, have witnessed a major variety of casualties, elevating considerations about localized highway security measures.
Pedestrian risks
Pedestrian-related incidents have additionally resulted in a excessive loss of life toll, with 68 fatalities attributed to such incidents.
The surviving victims usually require medical remedy, putting a considerable burden on the general public well being system.
Dr. Tufton emphasised the necessity for public well being consciousness to mitigate these challenges.
A name to motion
The minister urged residents to play an lively position in addressing this disaster, emphasizing the significance of public well being consciousness.
He identified that complaints about hospital mattress shortages usually stem from the inflow of crash victims requiring speedy medical consideration.
