National Road Safety Council to Monitor and Provide Oversight of the Implementation of new Road Traffic Act; Government Taking Note of Public Concerns
The continuous increase in road traffic deaths and injuries have been a major concern for this Government, and the new RTA and its effective enforcement is essential to reducing the risk of fatalities and keeping vulnerable road users safe, including pedestrians, cyclists, children, elders and people with disabilities.
To strengthen the implementation of the new Road Traffic Act, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has directed the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) to undertake weekly reviews and provide reports on the enforcement and effectiveness of the measures as well as any concerns expressed by the public. The Government recognizes that with these significant changes to the road traffic laws and enhanced enforcement, a period of consistent review has to be undertaken to ensure the engagement of the entire nation and to achieve a high level of compliance. The Government has taken note of the concerns regarding the requirement to convey a child in the appropriate child restraint system. The provision was first incorporated in the Road Traffic Act in 2001 and was specifically deliberated by the Joint Select Committee chaired by Dr Omar Davies in 2015, which recommended that “the Act require that a child would have to be in a restraint system while being transported in a motor vehicle.” In keeping with our consistent review, the Government will have deliberation on the matter at the next meeting of the Road Safety Council. The National Road Safety Council is set to meet on February 9, 2023, when the Prime Minister will consider the first review. The Prime Minister said, “ The continuous increase in road traffic deaths and injuries has been a major concern for this Government, and the new RTA and its effective enforcement is essential to reducing the risk of fatalities and keeping vulnerable road users safe, including pedestrians, cyclists, children, elders and people with disabilities.”