Maria Myers-Hamilton | Urgent case for road safety in Jamaica

Road traffic crashes remain one of Jamaica’s most persistent and preventable crises. Every year, families bury loved ones who left home and never returned - not because of violence or illness but because of a collision that could have been avoided.

The tragedy is not that we do not understand the problem. The tragedy is that we do.

We know who is most at risk. We know the roads where fatalities occur most often. We know the behaviours that continue to cost lives. We know what interventions work. Yet far too many Jamaicans continue to die on our roads.

Recent years have shown both the scale of the challenge and the possibility of progress. After road fatalities peaked at 488 in 2022, deaths declined over the following two years before increasing again in 2025. Early figures from 2026 offer cautious optimism, but they also serve as a reminder that progress is never guaranteed. It must be earned through consistent enforcement, safer infrastructure, and responsible road use.

The data tells us something important: these deaths are not random.

Motorcyclists continue to account for the largest share of road fatalities. Pedestrians, particularly children, remain highly vulnerable. Certain corridors across the island repeatedly emerge as crash hotspots. These are not mysteries waiting to be solved. They are known danger zones that demand targeted intervention.

Perhaps most importantly, we know what is causing these deaths.

SPEEDING

Speeding remains one of the leading contributors to fatal crashes. Impaired driving continues to endanger road users. Failure to use helmets and seatbelts, poor lane discipline, and other risky behaviours remain far too common. These challenges are often compounded by deteriorating road surfaces, inadequate signage, and poor lighting.

None of these factors are new, and none are beyond our ability to address.

Yet every year they continue to claim lives, devastate families, and place additional strain on public resources.

Too often, road safety is viewed solely as a transportation issue. It is much more than that. It is a public-health issue, an economic issue, and a national development issue.

Many crash victims are in the most productive years of their lives. Their deaths and injuries affect household income, workplace productivity, and community stability. The burden on hospitals, emergency services, and rehabilitation programmes adds to an already significant social and economic cost.

Road crashes are preventable.

While public attention often focuses on roads, vehicles, and driver behaviour, another critical component of road safety frequently goes unnoticed: technology.

Modern enforcement increasingly depends on digital tools that help officers identify violations, verify information, and respond more effectively. Jamaica’s Traffic Ticket Management System and Smart Check E-Ticketing platform are helping to transform the way traffic laws are enforced.

These systems allow officers to issue citations electronically and conduct real-time checks on vehicle fitness, registration status, and insurance coverage. The result is greater efficiency, improved accuracy, and stronger compliance.

What many people do not realise is that these systems rely on secure and reliable wireless communications.

Every real-time verification, electronic citation, and digital compliance check depends on the radio frequency spectrum. Behind the scenes, the Spectrum Management Authority helps ensure that the communications systems supporting these services operate effectively through spectrum licensing, frequency assignment, device approval, and interference management.

As digital enforcement expands across the island, maintaining a reliable spectrum environment becomes increasingly important. It is one of the many ways technology can support safer roads and stronger enforcement.

SAFER ROADS

The Government must continue investing in safer roads, stronger legislation, and targeted enforcement. The private sector must champion safe practices within its own operations and communities. Schools, parents and community leaders must reinforce road-safety awareness from an early age.

Most importantly, every road user must recognise that a single decision – whether to speed, drive while impaired, ignore a helmet, or disregard a traffic signal – can alter lives forever.

Road safety is ultimately a reflection of the value we place on human life.

Every crash that claims a life or leaves a family shattered is a preventable event. Jamaica already possesses the knowledge, technology, and institutional frameworks needed to make our roads safer. What remains is the collective will to act.

For too long, road fatalities have been accepted as an unfortunate reality of modern life. They should not be.

The goal of reducing annual road deaths to fewer than 300 should not be viewed as an aspiration. It should be regarded as the minimum standard that every Jamaican deserves.

Dr Maria Myers-Hamilton is the managing director of Spectrum Management Authority.