THE EDITOR, Sir:
I AM alarmed at the recent multiple deaths that have occurred on our roads over the past couple of days. I lay some of the blame on the Ministry of Transport and the Jamaica Information Service. We have gone ahead and introduced a new highway system to Jamaican motorists without adequate preparation for the requirements of high speed driving and the proper use of the the highway system.
Before we had highways there used to be vehicle examiners at police road checkpoints. These examiners would do safety checks on vehicles as they are stopped by the police. The checks covered tyres, stop and tail lights, headlamps properly aligned, no coloured lamps in front, etc. and passenger vehicles came in for special scrutiny.
As a former service station owner I advised operators of minibuses to use commercial tyres on their vehicles as these are specially built to withstand the load pressure and the build up of heat from high speeds. Todays minibus drivers go for pretty tyres that are not built to carry loads. Threadbare tyres will blow out at high speeds. The walls on a regular radial four-ply tyre are only two-ply and will blow out when under load and hitting a hard object like a curb wall.
I am making an urgent appeal to the authorities to begin again the examination of passenger vehicles especially at the entrance to our new highways. Vehicles with defective tyres, etc. should be ticketed and taken off the road
I urge service station dealers with the help of the Jamaica Gasolene Retailers Association to educate motorists on the proper fitting and use of the right tyres for their vehicles. Many lives will be saved. The drivers of tractor trailers need to know that the impact momentum of a trailer carrying 20 tons travelling at 60MPH has the force of 1,200 tons when it hits anything. These trailers need to have speed governors on them, and should be fined heavily if they are removed.
The Government must act now as the situation is out of control.
I am, etc.,
A. GUY MORRIS
Kingston
