NRSC wary of road fatality U-turn
Published:Saturday | December 27, 2025 | 12:08 AMSashana Small/Staff Reporter
With road fatalities poised to break a three-year downward trend, Dr Lucien Jones, vice chairman of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC), is urging the introduction of protocols to test the blood of drivers suspected of drinking and driving.
“We have already exceeded the numbers for last year, and we have five days left, so we are not doing well,” Jones told The Gleaner yesterday.
He noted that 368 people had so far died in road crashes this year, compared to 365 during the corresponding period last year.
In 2023, 425 road deaths were recorded, with the highest ever-488 deaths - recorded in 2022.
Three deaths were recorded on Christmas Day, with apparent error in judgment or negligence listed among the possible causes. These fatal crashes pushed to 24 the number of fatalities recorded so far this month.
Jones stated that Jamaica has already amended the Road Traffic Act to include a breathalyser test that sets the legal alcohol limit at 35 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath, and empowers the police to fine offenders and deduct points from their licence for exceeding limits or refusing tests.
He however said that, especially in fatal crashes, a blood test would remove any doubt if a driver was under the influence, and also provide critical data needed to support road safety.
Jones also noted that international data points to 30 per cent of fatal crashes being caused by motorists driving under the influence of alcohol.
He said the NRSC is currently in discussions with the Ministry of Health and Wellness to facilitate blood testing as doctors do not feel empowered to do so otherwise.
MEDICAL LEGAL ISSUE
“They are saying that they don’t have permission to do so, if the person for example is injured or can’t speak, or is unconscious. It’s a medical legal issue that has to be sorted out with the Ministry of Health,” he stated.
He noted that four main causes of fatalities on the road are driving at excess speed, careless overtaking, not staying in lanes and pedestrian error.
Since the start of the year, motorcyclists have recorded the highest number of road fatalities at 112, followed by private motor vehicle drivers with 70 deaths. Pedestrians account for 67 fatalities, while private motor vehicle passengers amount to 56.
He stressed that the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) safe system’s approach to road safety, which involves safe roads, safe speeds, safe vehicles, safe road users, and efficient post crash systems, requires the support of all stakeholders.
“The narrative you hear sometimes that ‘these people are killing off themselves’ is not something that the National Road Safety Council has, can or will endorse,” he said. “There is a shared responsibility between those who manage the roads and those who use the roads.”
Going into 2026, Jones said the NRSC will continue to push the WHO mandate to reduce road fatality rates by 50 per cent by 2030, although “right now at 368, we’re going in the wrong direction”.
He reiterated the need for enforcement of the demerit point system which he said can act as a deterrent to persistently offending drivers, training for motorcyclists, and the wearing of proper helmets to save lives.
“If you can ensure that the sanctions regime of the Road Traffic Act is working well, then that alone can make a difference,” he said.