President of the Barbados Road Safety Association (BRSA), Sharmane Roland-Bowen, is advising drivers to use “extreme caution” while on the roads during the next few days, as Barbados continues to experience ashfall from the La Soufrière volcano eruptions occurring in neighbouring St Vincent.
With the significant amount of ash on the road, mixed with light rain overnight, Roland-Bowen says the hazardous nature of the roads to vehicles right now, cannot be underestimated.
“Our roads are very hazardous; they are very dangerous at this time and we cannot go about driving in the way that we used to before. We have to take all of the necessary precautions in order for us to arrive at our destinations safely,” she said.
The BRSA President also stressed that Barbadians should only use the roads today if absolutely necessary.
“Our roads, because of the ash, have become [dangerous]. Visibility has become reduced and because of that, we cannot see as far ahead as we could in more ideal conditions. One of the ways in which you can combat the hazards, is for you to slow down. So we are asking all persons to reduce their speeds on the roads,” she stressed.
Roland-Bowen also added that the current road conditions will significantly reduce the traction of vehicle tyres.
“Because of the ash [with the rain], our roads have become very slippery. Anything that comes between your tyres and the road surface reduces the traction, so we are hoping that the vehicles that are on our roads, that they have good tyres” she said. (SB)
