This project being implemented by PAHO and WHO is supporting the Jamaican authorities to promote more responsible use of roadways, improve access to post-crash care and reduce road crashes in Jamaica.

Road traffic crashes (RTCs) are a major public health issue and are the 11th leading cause of premature death in Jamaica. The number of injuries and fatalities has been increasing in recent years, and those affected are mainly the poor and other vulnerable road users. 

Local evidence shows that driving under the influence of alcohol is commonly present in both, traffic collisions and resulting in fatal and non-fatal injuries. Other estimations show that 18% of males and 5% of females self-reported driving under the influence of alcohol in the last year.

This project aims to respond to the unacceptably increasingly high number of people dying or suffering from severe non-fatal RTI (many of them with long-term disability) in Jamaica each year, which affects mostly the poor and other vulnerable road users and generates important associated social and economic costs for the country.

A study conducted in hospital settings showed 43% of RTI receiving care had used alcohol before the injury. In addition, a report elaborated by UNICEF in 2018 shows that speeding is the second most common cause of traffic infractions. Speeding resulted in 60% of crashes on rural roadways and was present in 23% of fatal road crashes. All this is consistent with global evidence that shows speeding and drink-driving commonly coexist and interact. Both disproportionately affect vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians (especially children, the elderly, and people living with disabilities), cyclists and motorcyclists.

In the 2018 global status report on road safety, participating local professionals recognized the performance of law enforcement was far from ideal and rated it as reprobatory. While the traffic police have an ongoing breathalyzer and speed enforcement programme, their work could highly benefit from more up-to-date equipment that allows them to increase the coverage of this work strategically. The country has 26-speed radars that will be complemented by laser speed cameras that can improve measurements and facilitate police enforcement activities. Police also have 40 devices to screen alcohol and eight devices to quantitatively measure alcohol in breath and are about to acquire 20 more; with this project, we will enhance the reach of road policing activities.

To support the ongoing efforts to accelerate the response for the achievement of the national target, and by extension, the global target, for the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety, the project will support the national authorities to improve and accelerate their response to mitigate the escalating rise in RTI mortality rates despite current efforts. The proposed interventions specifically address critical aspects which have been shown to have maximal benefits if strengthened. Specifically, the project aims to strengthen road safety management, improve the behaviour of road users and improve the post-crash response, three of the core strategic priorities outlined in the proposed strategy for the achievement of the global road safety targets. Strategic interventions to be introduced include:

• Development of a national action plan to implement the Policy
• Strengthening of the multi-sectoral coordinating mechanism.
• Operationalization of the new JISS, version 3 to produce accurate and dependable injury-related reports.
• Provide the relevant quantitative data to inform the development of the Road Safety Policy and plan.
• Strengthen onsite crash data collection nationally, by training the police and providing better equipment.