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<span style="font-weight: bold">News Source: OTGNR - </span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : Misuse of roadway wa...15 (Gleaner)...</span>
Stephen Williams, a school warden, shows students of Spanish Town Primary School in St Catherine the correct way to cross the street using a pedestrian crossing. - FILE IF THE number of pedestrian deaths followed the trend of other fatal road accidents, Jamaica could have achieved the goal set by the 'Save 300 lives' campaign.According to the year's statistics up until Tuesday, the recorded number of pedestrian deaths showed 32 more individuals dying this year in comparison to 2009.The number of pedestrians dying as a result of road accidents climbed to 115, whereas other collisions involving cyclists, public, private and commercial vehicles, declined.Kenute Hare, director of the Road Safety Unit at the Ministry of Transport, noted that a number of the pedestrian deaths resulted from motorists banking their cars on the sidewalks as they lost control, travelling at speeds higher than the limits.However, carelessness among pedestrians is also an issue, according to Hare.He cited a few examples that needed to be addressed:"Pedestrians misuse the roadway and they refuse to cross at the designated cross areas. When they're crossing, they're on their cellphones in the middle of the road and walking under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol impairs judgement along with their wanton, inappropriate use of the roadway."The highest number of fatalities, among children and adolescents up to 18 years, was also recorded among pedestrians.Hare said children have a tendency to dart into the middle of the road.The unpredictable nature of children on the roads can lead to unnecessary and heart-wrenching accidents.For example, a taxi driver, travelling through Walkers Wood in St Ann, earlier this year, could not stop rubbing his face in relief.His nerves were shot when he hit a young child, who was standing on a corner before she suddenly ran out into the road.Her tiny body was flung to the side as her slippers went flying into the air. She lay there for what seemed like a minute before getting up, screaming at the top of her lungs, and running to her mother, who was a few metres away.As 2011 approaches, Hare said the road safety unit plans to use engineering, enforcement and education to better sensitise pedestrians and drivers to the dangers of carelessness on the roads."We're going to appeal to (pedestrians). As of 2011, we're going to increase our presence in the media. We have pedestrian infomercials on now and we're going to increase that number," Hare told The Gleaner on Wednesday.He said the safety unit also plans on "cranking up" the Children Against Reckless Driving programme, as a way of empowering children.The total number of road fatalities up until Tuesday was at 309.http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...66856873357542
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : Misuse of roadway wa...15 (Gleaner)...</span>
Stephen Williams, a school warden, shows students of Spanish Town Primary School in St Catherine the correct way to cross the street using a pedestrian crossing. - FILE IF THE number of pedestrian deaths followed the trend of other fatal road accidents, Jamaica could have achieved the goal set by the 'Save 300 lives' campaign.According to the year's statistics up until Tuesday, the recorded number of pedestrian deaths showed 32 more individuals dying this year in comparison to 2009.The number of pedestrians dying as a result of road accidents climbed to 115, whereas other collisions involving cyclists, public, private and commercial vehicles, declined.Kenute Hare, director of the Road Safety Unit at the Ministry of Transport, noted that a number of the pedestrian deaths resulted from motorists banking their cars on the sidewalks as they lost control, travelling at speeds higher than the limits.However, carelessness among pedestrians is also an issue, according to Hare.He cited a few examples that needed to be addressed:"Pedestrians misuse the roadway and they refuse to cross at the designated cross areas. When they're crossing, they're on their cellphones in the middle of the road and walking under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol impairs judgement along with their wanton, inappropriate use of the roadway."The highest number of fatalities, among children and adolescents up to 18 years, was also recorded among pedestrians.Hare said children have a tendency to dart into the middle of the road.The unpredictable nature of children on the roads can lead to unnecessary and heart-wrenching accidents.For example, a taxi driver, travelling through Walkers Wood in St Ann, earlier this year, could not stop rubbing his face in relief.His nerves were shot when he hit a young child, who was standing on a corner before she suddenly ran out into the road.Her tiny body was flung to the side as her slippers went flying into the air. She lay there for what seemed like a minute before getting up, screaming at the top of her lungs, and running to her mother, who was a few metres away.As 2011 approaches, Hare said the road safety unit plans to use engineering, enforcement and education to better sensitise pedestrians and drivers to the dangers of carelessness on the roads."We're going to appeal to (pedestrians). As of 2011, we're going to increase our presence in the media. We have pedestrian infomercials on now and we're going to increase that number," Hare told The Gleaner on Wednesday.He said the safety unit also plans on "cranking up" the Children Against Reckless Driving programme, as a way of empowering children.The total number of road fatalities up until Tuesday was at 309.http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...66856873357542