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By Wayne Campbell
“Each year nearly 1.3 million people die as a result of a road traffic crash, more than 3, 000 deaths each day and more than a half of these people are vulnerable road users; pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. More than 50 million are seriously injured. The cost to society and the suffering of individuals and families are staggering. Most road crashes affect young people and more than 90 per cent take place in developing countries.”- United Nations
Driving on the roads has become scary for most of us. Many of us have been victims of predatory driving practices where we have had to pull over and allow those drivers to pass. Unfortunately, many of us have experienced situations where we have had to give up our road rights in order to prevent a collision.
Driving on the Jamaican roadway is a matter of life and death. Many folks are literally afraid to use the roadways due to how crazy many motorists have become. Many are driving as if they are on a Hollywood movie set far-removed from reality. It is safe to say that moral persuasion has not worked in Jamaica regarding the behaviour of irresponsible drivers.
Sadly, more than 457 Jamaicans have lost their lives as a result of motor vehicle accidents since the start of 2022. It seems everyone is in a haste; sometimes going nowhere. The ongoing carnage on our roads speaks to the reckless behaviour and lawlessness which has taken over the Jamaican society. In 2021, there were 487 road fatalities in Jamaica, which represented the highest number recorded. The long awaited Road Traffic Act, 2018 and the Road Traffic Regulations, 2022 will be implemented in February 2023.
Smart road technology
Roadways are constantly being repaired or constructed. However, with recent developments in smart technologies, companies have been hard at work devising ways to make the roads safer and more driver-friendly, enabling the use of developments coming from the automotive sector.
According to Intel, in an article entitled Smart Road Infrastructure, cities are facing pressures to address environmental issues caused by traffic congestion and urban population growth while providing more equitable mobility and sustainable transportation. Smart road technology helps city planners and governments address these challenges.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is making road transportation more connected, safe, sustainable, and efficient with traffic management, pedestrian and vehicle safety, environmental monitoring, smart and connected roadway corridors, and EV charging and parking networks. The push is now towards electric cars, including public passenger vehicles. As the population increases, more pressure is being placed for cities to develop more effective roadways and highways. Smart infrastructure is essential for modernization.
Intel adds that smart roads built on IoT and information and communications technology (ICT) can make it possible for cities and transportation authorities to collect and analyse data to improve day-to-day traffic management. Smart road infrastructure can also help cities adapt to long-term sustainable transportation needs. With IoT sensors, cameras, radar, and 5G-equipped technologies, data can be analysed in near-real time and used to improve congested roadways, streamlining traffic flow. Data can also be sent to the cloud for long-term analysis, providing critical insight for efforts such as reducing CO2 emissions.
With the growing push toward electrification across the automotive sector, smart roads are striving to accommodate and enable widespread adoption of electric vehicles. In previous years, this has been primarily the addition of more and more charging stations. However, technologies such as electric charging lanes are revolutionising the way electric vehicles operate.
The Smart Pavement road system uses high-resolution fiber optic sensors and other technologies inside the pavement to detect vehicle positions and roadway conditions in real time. These embedded sensor systems can also detect accidents and notify emergency responders automatically. In some jurisdictions, once you break the red light, your licence plate is automatically photographed and your ticket is mailed to you.
Decade of Action for Road Safety
In September 2020, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/74/299 “Improving global road safety”, proclaiming the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, with the ambitious target of preventing at least 50 per cent of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
The WHO and UN regional commissions, in cooperation with other partners in the UN Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC), have developed a Global Plan for the Decade of Action. The United Nations added that the Global Plan describes the actions needed to achieve that target. This includes accelerated action to make walking, cycling and using public transport safe, as they are also healthier and greener modes of transport; to ensure safe roads, vehicles and behaviours; and to guarantee timely and effective emergency care. It is aimed to inspire countries, including governments and partners, to act boldly and decisively, using the tools and knowledge gained from the last Decade of Action to change course.
Safe journey
In many societies, having a sidewalk can make a great deal of difference regarding road safety. Unfortunately, this is not the situation. In many parts of Jamaica, it has become a struggle to navigate our sidewalks, as numerous obstacles are present for pedestrians. The blatant disregard for laws adds to the dilemma surrounding road safety. Over the years, we have had numerous public education campaigns; however, the degree of their success has been minimal. It is challenging to change behaviour with legislation only. A holistic approach is required with agencies, such as the WHO and the UNRSC in which the five United Nations pillars of Strategy: Road Safety Management, Safer Vehicles, Safer Road Users, Post-Crash Response and Safer Driving Environments are incorporated in a national response to drive road safety administration.
The influence of gender in motor vehicle fatalities
The WHO has reported that road injury rates are highly gendered. “Globally, almost three times (2.7) as many males as compared to females die from road traffic injuries. The World Bank reports that gender equality is a basic human right. The World Bank adds that safe transport must support different mobility patterns and the needs of both women and men who, studies show, travel differently. Women tend to make more stops when using a car, and they rely on public transport more than men do. Women may avoid cycling, in fear of dangers on the road.
So far, there is fragmented evidence of the behavioural aspects and social patterns of road users disaggregated by gender and regarding how gender relates to road-related casualties. Women have 47 per cent percent higher risk of serious injury in a car crash than men, and a five times higher risk of whiplash injury. Despite women’s and children’s physical vulnerabilities during a crash, three times more men than women die in road crashes globally. Men die on the roads mainly as car drivers and motorcycle riders, while women are killed mainly as pedestrians and car passengers. The reason behind this is simple: men’s driving behaviour.
Research conducted by the National Academies Sciences Engineering Medicines indicates that men are prone to drive at higher speed, tend to be involved in a road crash earlier in their driving career, exhibit risky driving behaviour and have less regard for traffic laws. Unfortunately, despite these statistics, policies or countermeasures fail to factor in gender differences.
Preventable deaths
Our social norms have not been forceful regarding countering the reckless and dangerous driving of some road users. Some will argue that our social norms have been doing the opposite; the government in response has had to reintroduce Civics in the education system. Social norms act as powerful constraints for the individual attitudes and behaviours in societies. As a result, it is important for governments and those who set policies to take this into consideration as they must revisit the public education campaigns through gendered lens.
It is indeed a crisis that yearly we have approximately 500 road deaths. All road deaths can be preventable. Governments and transportation planners need to appreciate more the value of smart roads and invest more in the available technology so as to reduce traffic related deaths.
The way of the future regarding road safety is embedded in smart transportation. The pursuit of smart transportation is critical to address the current traffic problems facing large urban communities: traffic jams, accidents, pollution, fuel cost, fuel scarcity, and high insurance costs.
More policing is also critical, especially in those areas where there is a tendency for traffic accidents. We need to redouble our efforts in arriving at solutions for this preventable problem by investing in technologies available, such as traffic cameras and road detectors. Real-time navigation apps are useful and must become part of daily resources for drivers to alert them to delays and help them choose the fastest route.
The impact of motor vehicle accidents is wide ranging; an untold number of families are plunged into poverty when the main breadwinner dies unexpectedly in a motor vehicle accident. As a society, we are yet to fathom the emotional cost of motor vehicle accidents. It is only by preventing traffic-related injuries that we will usher in a new age where millions of people can pursue productive lives, and in doing so, drive economic growth and build their communities.
The hostile manner in which Jamaican road users behave is very indicative of how we treat each other in various spaces, such as the work space and the wider society. We need to engender a culture of caring and empathy for each other generally, not only on the roads. Road safety begins with us.
In the words of Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, the loss of lives and livelihoods, the disabilities caused, the grief and pain, and the financial costs caused by road traffic crashes add up to an intolerable toll on families, communities, societies and health systems.
Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues.
waykam@yahoo.com, @WayneCamo
