Commissioner, cops ‘ride out’ for road traffic victims

Dr Kevin Blake leads initiative; promotes bike safety

MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Wearing his safety gear, Commissioner of Police Dr Kevin Blake led by example as he emphasized that motorcycling is a “wonderful sport” while also encouraging other bikers to “arrive alive in 2025”.

Blake pointed out that although road fatalities are down by 13 per cent, the figure is still too high.

“We have, so far, 320 deaths on our roads — which is 47 less deaths than it was last year. Notwithstanding the reductions, we have not met the target that we have set and so we are pushing very hard to stop the deaths,” he said on World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on Sunday in Mandeville.

He then compared Jamaica Constabulary Force’s success in reducing serious crimes to a similar effort by the force to decrease road fatalities through public education and enforcement.

“We are seeing a significant reduction in major crimes — particularly murders and shootings — and so we are trying to save the lives of Jamaicans. And we are doing well with good cooperation from citizens and excellent support from the general public but [despite the] the lives that we are saving through [reduced] homicides, we are seeing too many lives being lost on our roadways,” he said.

The commissioner, on a Honda VTX 1300 R cruiser on Sunday, led a convoy of motorcycle-driving police officers — including Assistant Commissioner of Police Gary McKenzie, Superintendent Raymond Wilson, and Deputy Superintendent Carey Duncan — from St Catherine to Mandeville to commemorate World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. Other motorcyclists from Federal International Automobile Association and Jamaica Motorcycle Association supported the initiative which was dubbed Ride Out.

The initiative was organised by National Helmet Wearing Coalition, Jamaica National Foundation, and custos of Manchester Garfield Green.

The custos, in addressing the commemoration ceremony across from Mandeville Regional Hospital, pointed out that Caledonia Road (in front of the hospital) is used for racing.

“This stretch of road is used mainly at night for racing and stunt driving — and some persons end up across the road. I want to ask our motorcyclists not to use the roadway for that. We see a lot of drag racing happening on this stretch of road, and [this] will sometimes cause accidents,” said Green.

Meanwhile, the police commissioner said motorcycling is an excellent sport that helps people to relax and develop agility.

“But not only that, it is an excellent means of transportation. You notice how vibrant our food delivery services are with motorcyclists? And those are people who are honest, decent, working people trying to make an impact,” Blake said.

But, unfortunately, motorcycles also feature prominently in crimes and reckless driving, the commissioner added.

“[People] use motorcycles not only to commit crime, but sometimes are a nuisance on the road and so I am going to ask you: ‘Whilst you make bad decisions and endanger yourself, first and foremost you also endanger other road users. Sometimes the mere activity you are trying to avoid [because of] some ridiculous manoeuvre on the road, [you] met in an accident,’ ” he said.

He implored road users to practise safety on the nation’s roads.

“I want to encourage everyone to let us go into this festive season responsibly. Let us enjoy the season and let us arrive in 2025 alive,” he said.

Scores of helmets were distributed to motorcyclists in Mandeville as part of yesterday’s initiative.

“Let us wear our helmets. The data is showing that over 30 per cent of the road fatalities are motorcyclists, and over 90 per cent of those who have died driving a motorcycle were not wearing a helmet, and so we don’t know how many lives we would have saved had they been wearing their helmets. So, we encourage everyone [to wear helmets],” said Blake

“It is a wonderful sport — that is what I heard,” he added, evoking laughter.