Motorists Encouraged to Practise Defensive Driving

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is encouraging motorists to practise defensive driving as part of efforts to reduce distracted driving and improve road safety across the island.

Speaking with JIS News recently, Commanding Officer for the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB), Senior Superintendent (SSP) Lloyd Darby, said distracted driving continues to contribute to road crashes and fatalities, despite ongoing enforcement and public education efforts.

“If you are going to drive defensively, you have to pay attention to everything that is happening on the road,” SSP Darby stated.

He noted that distracted driving can be visual, manual or cognitive, all of which reduce a driver’s ability to react quickly to hazards.

“Research has shown that it takes 1.5 to two seconds to react when you see something… and all this time, the vehicle is moving,” he said.

Stressing that the use of cell phones while driving remains one of the most common forms of distraction among motorists, SSP Darby is appealing to motorists to remain fully focused while operating motor vehicles and avoid activities that take their attention away from the road.

“You can’t be gazing at pedestrians outside, looking at billboards, paying attention to which music event is going to be happening. You need to be focused on the task of driving to get from point A to point B safely,” he added.

The Senior Superintendent also warned that speeding increases the severity of collisions and reduces the chances of survival in a crash.

“We want persons to realise… that speed, even if it is not the main cause, increases the impact and increases the likelihood of you being seriously hurt or killed if there is a collision,” he said.

SSP Darby noted that defensive driving sometimes requires motorists to yield, even when they have the legal right of way, to avoid collisions.

The JCF continues to undertake enforcement operations and awareness campaigns aimed at reducing road fatalities and encouraging safer use of the nation’s roads.