22 deaths due to road accidents in Guyana in January 2024: Reports

Guyana: As the month of January 2024 came to an end, 22 people in Guyana lost their lives on the road following motor vehicle collisions and accidents. 

According to the data revealed by the Guyana Police Force Traffic Department, 91 accidents took place in which 109 people lost their lives from 1st January to 28th August 2023. The Traffic Department stated that the majority of the fatal accidents occurred during the night.

While stating the reason behind the accidents, he said that the majority of the deaths occur due to speeding and drunk driving. At the same time, some people died due to a lack of caution on the roadways.

Moreover, the President of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, stated in his New Year message that new laws, policies, and measures will be taken in order to curb the carnage on the nation’s roadways.

“I intend to have a national conversation on this in the coming days. Out of that conversation, new laws, regulations, measures, and technology will be implemented to stop the carnage on our roads,” stated President Irfaan Ali. He added that they will implement strict road safety rules and traffic management plans to curb the increasing accidental rates.

Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn also shared his views on the matter in September 2023 and stated that the government is very concerned about the surge in deaths caused by road mishaps.

“We are concerned about inconsistencies, aberrations in the way people behave. We have been requiring, demanding more to be done in respect of speeding, drunk driving, impaired driving, whether it’s drugs or cell phone use,” Minister Robeson Benn added.

He noted that the government is taking stringent actions to improve road safety and said that there are large numbers of vehicles on the road, and there are still those people who prefer drunk driving or driving at a fast speed just for the sake of their joy and enjoyment.

However, the Minister has promised that the issue would be addressed in a comprehensive way to prevent road accident fatalities.

Some of the residents of the community have asked the administration to conduct campaigns to educate the public about safe driving practices, the significance of wearing helmets and seat belts and the dangers of drunken driving and over-speeding.