ERNEST PATE
MALE DRIVERS are responsible for a significant majority of road accidents in Jamaica, according to the findings of the 2006 'Knowledge, Attitude, Practices and Behaviour Survey of Male Drivers in Jamaica'.
The survey was conducted by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Road Safety Council (NRSC).
The study, done earlier this year, had a random stratified sample of 500 registered drivers of which 446 of the respondents were analysed.
Dr. Ernest Pate, PAHO/ WHO representative in Jamaica, presented the findings of the research yesterday at the Hilton hotel, New Kingston.
FATALITIES
"The study started earlier this year and the reason was that in 2005 this country had a total of 326 fatalities on the road and 263 of those fatalities were caused by male drivers," Dr. Pate said. "In fact, 81 per cent of the collisions were actually caused by male drivers. From January to March of this year, there were 135 road collisions resulting in 152 fatalities ... 96 per cent of these collisions were caused by young male drivers."
Of the 500 respondents, some 32 per cent were reported to have been involved in traffic collisions. An additional 19 per cent were also involved in major road accidents, defined as "a collision which resulted in a death or significant injury".
According to the findings, "only a little bit less than half of the country's drivers were formally taught how to drive". In response to research findings that suggested that 71 per cent of the country's driver's illegally acquired their driver's licences, Senior Superintendent Elan Powell, head of the Police Traffic Division, said that the current legislation regarding traffic laws needs to be amended.
