About Us

Click Here to view the National Road Safety Policy

BACKGROUND

With concern for the very high incidence of accidents on the roads and the negative social and economic impact, a number of public and private sector interests met to deliberate on the issues in late 1991. Discussions were prompted by a paper written by Professor John Golding for the Medical Association of Jamaica which outlined the nature of the problem. The gravity of the problem dictated the need to establish the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) jointly funded by the public and private sectors. The first meeting of the NRSC was convened on September 28, 1992 and official recognition of its operation was granted by means of Ministry Paper #24, 1993.

MANDATE
The National Road Safety Council was established in 1993 as a non-profit organization by public and private sector interest groups. Its mandate is two fold:

* To develop and implement road safety promotional activites and conduct public education programmes.

* to act as a lobby group for the promotion of road safety

Activities are undertaken with the overall aim of reducing the level of accidents and lowering the cost to society both in terms of human suffering and financial cost.

STRUCTURE

EXECUTIVE BODY

CHAIRMAN Most Hon. P. J. Patterson, Prime Minister

VICE-CHAIRMAN/CONVENOR Dr. Lucien Jones

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Mrs. Paula Fletcher

EXECUTIVE MEMBERS Snr. Supt. Elan Powell - Police Traffic Dept.

Mr. Paul Clemetson, Director - Road Traffic Unit, (Ministry of Transport & Works)

Mr. Michael Saunderson – National Works Agency

Mr. Laurence Heffes - Jamaica Chamber of Commerce

Dr. Marion Bullock-DuCasse - Ministry of Health

Mr. Raymond Reece - Office of the Prime Minister

Mr. Trevor Heaven - Jamaica Gasolene Retailers Association

The executive body schedules periodic meetings with the Chairman of the National Road Safety Council.

FULL COUNCIL

The Full Council has a membership of over twenty persons (inclusive of those listed above) drawn from various sectors which have an interest in, or whose work impact on road safety.

Full Council meetings are scheduled on a quarterly basis. See list of Full Council Members attached.

PROGRAMMES/ACTIVITIES

1. LEGISLATION

• Safety Devices Legislation
The Council lobbied for and facilitated the enactment of the Safety Devices Legislation which was passed in November 1999 and which made a significant impact in reducing road traffic fatalities to 295 for that year, the lowest for the decade.

• Driving while Intoxicated (DWI) Legislation
The Council also lobbied and assisted with activities leading to the enactment of the Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) Legislation in 1995 and has been a driving force behind sorting out various administrative problems. In this regard, frequent DWI committee meetings were held with the Police Traffic HQ, Ministry of National Security & Justice, Ministry of Transport & Works and the Jamaica Bureau of Standards.

Lobby efforts to revitalize this programme continues.

• Legislation Review Committee
The Council agitated for the reconvening of the Road Traffic Act Legislation Review Committee and is a Committee member.

• Traffic Ticketing System
The Council is an active lobbyist for the revision of the Traffic Ticketing System which was not Y2K friendly and therefore was an ineffective enforcement tool.

• Stray Animals
The Council agitated for the review of the outdated Pound Act and the Keeping of Animals Act because of increased road fatalities, accidents and other problems faced by motorists as a result of stray animals. The Acts were amended in 2003.

• Formulation of a National Road Safety Policy
The Council served as the Secretariat for the formulation of the National Road Safety Policy. This Policy had its genesis at a two-day workshop which the Council sponsored in collaboration with the Pan-American Health Organization October 30-31, 1997.
On the advice of the Council, the Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Transport & Works to launch the Policy on World Health Day. This launch, however, has had to be postponed and rescheduled to take place during June, Road Safety Month.

The Council will continue to be active in the implementation of the Policy.

• Road Safety Focus for Labour Day 2004
In collaboration with the World Health Day Secretariat, an approach was made to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture to make Road Safety a focus for Labour Day.

2. PUBLIC EDUCATION (This is ongoing.)

• Road Safety Jingle/Video
A multi-media public education campaign focusing on pedestrians (involving print, television, radio, bus backs and billboards) was launched as a part of World Health Day 2004 activities. A jingle, with accompanying video, entitled ‘put your hand up in the air’ was released .

• ‘Think First’ Programme
The Council conducts this programme in high schools and tertiary institutions in conjunction with neurosurgeons from the University Hospital of the West Indies. The programme, which focuses on preventing brain and spinal cord injuries, was officially launched by the Prime Minister at Calabar High School in June 2000.

3. PARISH ROAD SAFETY COMMITTEES

Currently, there are two active committees - Kingston & St. Andrew and St. Catherine.

The Kingston & St. Andrew committee meets every other first Tuesday and is doing research into the causes of pedestrian fatalities in this region for the ten-year period 1993-2003. On completion of this exercise, a symposium will be held to discuss the findings.


4. TOLL AUTHORITY MEMBERSHIP

The Council is represented on the Toll Authority. Our representative, the Executive Director, chairs the Safety Sub-committee, and is a member of the Public Education Sub-committee.

NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY COUNCIL
LIST OF FULL COUNCIL MEMBERS