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Govt under fire for road safety record

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Published On:Monday, March 15, 2010

By ALISON LOWE

Tribune Staff Reporter

alowe@tribunemedia.net

IN A WEEK in which New Providence recorded three more traffic fatalities, the Government has been accused of being "nothing short of lacklustre" despite "sustained high levels" of road deaths throughout the country.

Glenys Hanna Martin, MP for Englerston and minister of transport and aviation under the former Christie administration, called on the Government to immediately bring enforce seat belt laws passed in 2002 which would allow for drivers to be penalised for their failure to use the potential life-saving device.

Noting that the then-FNM opposition was "very vocal in its criticism" of the PLP government decision to delay the enforcement of the seat belt law in 2002 - a delay the PLP attributed to the government's decision to "review" the law in conjunction with stakeholders - Mrs Hanna Martin said it is therefore "a matter of dismay" for the PLP "that after almost three years in office they have yet to bring that law into force".

"What is even greater cause for dismay is this Government's apparent lack of aggression in general as it relates to issues surrounding road safety. The approach has been nothing short of lackluster in the face of sustained high levels of fatalities," she stated.

Her criticism came on the same day as police reported that a crash which claimed the life of an 18-year-old man last Tuesday has also led to the death of a female who was a passenger in the vehicle at the time.

Police confirmed the victim's identity as Ashanti Johnson, of Golden Gates. According to police press liaison officer Chrislyn Skippings, the young woman was a passenger in the back seat of the car. She succumbed to her injuries shortly before 7am yesterday.

According to initial reports, the crash occurred sometime around 9.33pm last Tuesday on Yamacraw Hill Road. A 2004 green Cadillac Seville with four occupants reportedly ploughed into a cedar tree resulting in the death of 18-year-old Germaine Jeron Forbes, of Bamboo Boulevard, Bamboo Town. Mr Forbes was seated in the rear right-hand side of the car at the time. He died at the scene.

It was reported at that time that three persons - two females and a male - were taken to hospital in serious condition. The driver of the vehicle and a female who was the front seat passenger have been discharged from hospital.

Police are also investigating another crash in the eastern area which claimed the life of a man early Saturday morning. Police say they received reports of a traffic accident on Fox Hill Road and Abner Street, sometime around 1.15am Saturday.

According to reports, the driver of a 2002 silver CRV was traveling north on Fox Hill Road when he lost control of the vehicle and struck a utility pole. This resulted in the vehicle overturning. EMS personnel responded but the driver was pronounced dead. Police are investigating and are expected to confirm the identity of the victim later today.

Speaking in Grand Bahama last week, Minister of Works and Transport Neko Grant said statistics reveal that during 2008, 45 traffic fatalities occurred, of which 22 were people under 25.

Meanwhile, during the past year, some 56 traffic fatalities were recorded - 29 of those involved people in that age group, meaning that young people have consistently made up the majority of all those who die in traffic accidents in The Bahamas in those years.

Mr Grant, who was speaking at a graduation ceremony for young people who had participated in a Safe Driving Simulator Programme - an initiative launched by the Grand Bahama Port Authority - added that the World Health Organisation lists road traffic injuries as the leading cause of death globally among persons aged between 15 and 19, and it also lists injuries as the second leading cause of death globally among persons 10 to 14 years old and 20 to 24 years old.

The Minister said the Road Traffic Department has been engaging in a campaign to promote road safety and reduce traffic accident-related deaths and injuries.

However, Mrs Hanna Martin suggested that more must be done - starting with the enforcement of the seat belt law.

"This carnage on our streets exacts a very high emotional, social and economic toll on our country," she said.

"We call on the Government to bring a more intense focus to this critical area through its relevant agencies so as to increase awareness and raise standards and to now bring into force the seat-belt legislation including the mandatory use of child restraints."

Under the yet-to-be-enforced seat belt legislation passed in Parliament in 2002, any person driving a motor vehicle must be secured by a seatbelt and ensure that any passengers in their car are similarly secured.

The law further demands that children under the age of five must be in a child safety seat when travelling in a car, while older children in the back seat must ride with their seatbelt on.

Anyone found committing such as offence would be liable to a summary conviction and fine of $300. Any passenger other than the driver found not using his seatbelt is liable to a summary conviction and fine of $100.

Motorcycles, omni buses and trucks are exempted from the seat-belt rule, except for in the case of front seat use by the driver and any other passenger sitting alongside the driver.

Reader Comments - 10 Total

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Posted By: Erasmus Folly On: 3/17/2010

Title: No apology needed...

Emotions are powerful and when you lose someone, it is more than understandable to have a little 'rant' now and then. My condolences on your loss. We need to keep our streets safer for all of us.

Posted By: GOD'S Son On: 3/17/2010

Title:

I would like to apologize for my tirade yesterday but, I am still shaken up by what has taken place over the last few days. It still does not give me the right to respond the way I did. But the way the comments were posted sounded like they were directed to the accidents and not the seat belt laws. I was wrong for the name calling and I apologize. I am glad that you clarified what you were commenting about. I am man enough to admit my wrong doings.

Posted By: Erasmus Folly On: 3/16/2010

Title: Not a personal comment at all...

First, if I offended anyone who lost a person in a car crash, I apologize. I too have lost people in car crashes. It is horrific. My comments were not meant about any recent events or particular events.
Having said that, I never referred to any person in particular or any person who recently died in any accident in my posting. My observation was about 'stupid adults' who let their kids jump around in their cars - not any person who recently died in any car crash. I know nothing about the particulars of anyone's recent accidents, nor was I commenting on or about any of those accidents. I was commenting on the proposed seat belt law and the comments of Ms. Hanna-Martin. Please don't be conflate the two. To assume that I was commenting on your particular incidents is unfair and unwarranted. Furthermore, to attack my comments, when they are unrelated to your incidents, is equally unthoughtful.
With sympathy to your situation, but never having commented on it to begin with.
Erasmus Folly

Posted By: Jade Smith On: 3/16/2010

Title: Lesson Learned

It is important that kids understand the importance of using a seatbelt, driving the speed limit can pose to be a difficulty but seat belts should be a no brainer. I'm not trying to blame the parents but mention it to your kids before they drive off to wear their seat belts and if they fail to adhere to your words then there's nothing we can do. There's only so much preaching and teaching you can do to a person, it is up to them to listen. You can blame the government and everyone else but they were not the driver. Wear selt belts and drive responsibly. These deaths are unfortunate. Hopefully the Bahamaian youths are listening and are learning from their peers mistakes.

Posted By: GOD'S Son On: 3/16/2010

Title: Tired of the bashing comments.....

To Mr. Erasmus Folly, Sniper 1 and Jaded. You need to be very carefull with the way you "post" your comments on this site. Of the 3 people that passed in those traffic accidents one was my cousin(Jermaine) and the other was a high school classmate of mine. For you to call young people "stupid" and "dumb" is very hypocritical . I do not know any of you and I do not know any of your ages but, to make comments like that is very presumptuous of you three. These young people were loved and cherised by their families and friends. These events have life altering changes and many people will be affected by it. Have you not made mistakes as a young adult? Have you not made mistakes and still making unwise decisions today as so called "mature" adults??? Not one of you have the right to say what you said about the persons involved in the accidents. You are not JEHOVAH GOD and your not JESUS CHRIST. You are no different from the very people you are here disrespecting. People can be so sympathetic to The PLP and FNM governments when they fail to execute anything in a timely manner but, can bash our youth even in death. Every young person is not what you think and I feel that many of the youth are better off without input from narrow-minded, cold-hearted, speculating idiots!! I am enraged to read that you could not care or not feel sympathy here but, then again it's not your own affected. What if the shoe was on the other foot?? Through this families are affected, a child is now fatherless and lives that were full of potential were ended too soon. You seem to take pleasure in your comments and you should be ashamed! Are we not children of GOD? These were your brothers and sister in CHRIST. Think about that before you idiots open your big mouths and comment. Have a friggin heart man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted By: Kevard Rolle On: 3/15/2010

Title: It is increasing significantly

Sniper, number 1) It's Gleny's Hanna-Martin speaking not Mrs. Maynad-Gibson. (if you tlaking about something else related to this article, keep it to yourself) Regardless who was in power it still needs to be enforced to persuade these potential or reckless drivers while they are on the Bahamian roads because due to their reckless driving they are harming others. Although people should learn to wear seatbelts rather than being forced to do so, then let it be. If they want to kill themselves well that's their decision. Jaded I'm with you. I always say, "boy what if I was in an accident, how would I battle through the worst?" because you know why, because I see as they does say "not the only the old people are dying but young are dying as well" due to traffic fatalities,violence and other health issues. So the Government is not needed to put strict laws into place to protect drivers, will the government be in the car to say "put on your seatbelt" or to say "watch it, see that car cutting the corner." NO, so it's our obligation to know the safety of the road. We should say to ourselves, "put on your seatbelt" even if you just going to the shop about a block from your home. We cannot always depend on the government for everything. We are to lazy to do everything for ourselves. Come on young people "Wear your seatbelt at all times, the life you save may be your very own, and regardless where you going. We are taking our lives to quick, we were to be the next future generation to run and uphold this country dignity when The Hon. Huabert A. Ingraham and The Hon. Perry G. Christie leaves politics for good, you think they going to be here for life, come on have common sense. Know the road safety, drive with cautious not to harm others and to pay attention to the road and to other drivers, you cannot read their mind and they cannot read your mind in what you intend to do, so signal to them." I leave you with these "(LIFE) Live life for everyone and (SAVE) Stop Attentative Visualize estremity or exigency (STOP) Stop Translate Oncoming Passengers."

Posted By: Stanley Jackson Sr. On: 3/15/2010

Title: $300 fINE???

Which political genius came up with the $300.00 fine for breaking the seat belt law?? How much should our politicians be fined for giving Bahamians a "D" average education while every other Country provides free University education for it's citizens or failing to diversify the Bahamian economy, or for allowing Haitians, Jamaicans, Cubans, Latinos, Asians, Chinese and anyone else to take jobs and business opportunities from our people?
Perhaps we can come up with a fine for the same political genius's for their failure to have enough sense to "DEVELOPE A PLAN" for the Bahamas over the last 40+ years. Even the U.S. is pissed at these clowns for not having an immigration policy after 4 decades of dealing with the same migration problems. What’s good for the goose "MUST" also be good for the gander!!!

Posted By: Erasmus Folly On: 3/15/2010

Title: Children

What were the PLP doing about this when in office? I seem to remember them 'talking', but what did they do? I don't care about the stupid adults any more. I do care about their children though. The number of times that I see young children, toddlers, even infants, not in car seats and either bouncing around the back seat, in the 'middle' partition between the seats or fully in the front seat makes me cringe. These parents need to be charged with wreck-less endangerment and parental negligence. People, it doesn't take a serious accident to kill a small child. All it takes is a low impact collision. The physics of a car accident and the vulnerable head, neck and back of a child are nothing to take lightly - a 5 - 10 mph collision can easily kill a child. Cops should definitely get on this and the PLP just needs to shut up now. It's fine to point out the obvious to us as the opposition - that's great, but don't condemn anything that you failed to do on your own watch! Stop wasting our time! Of course a seat belt law needs to be passed! The trick is making sure to enforce it. I care little for the stupid adults, but for God's sake - for the kids, it needs to be enforced!

Posted By: Sniper 1 On: 3/15/2010

Title: PLP Nonsense

Mrs. Maynard Gibson needs to shut her pie hole!! Wher was her voice when she was in the PLP Cabinet on this issue?? The PLP did not pass the seat belt law and obviously from the article young people make up the majority of accident deaths everywhere else in the world anyway. We were all teenagers at one time and also though we were immortal. Young people are simply too dumb to understand the dangers of excessive speed.

Posted By: jaded! On: 3/15/2010

Title: duh!

people should not need a law to use their seatbealts. if they are too stupid to realize that seatbelts have the potential to save lives in the event of an accident then maybe our roads are better off without those drivers...survival of the fittest! the only people i feel sorry for in these situations are children. they dont know better. there parents should!

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