By: Precious Mills
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Friday 11th January 2018)- A senior officer at the Traffic Department is urging motorists to always follow simple traffic safety tips so as to avoid accidents.
“Research has shown that 99% of accidents occur because of human error and less than 1% result from mechanical defects. We are urging drivers that when utilising the road to follow the rules according to the Highway Code. When a driver is approaching a junction or intersection, he or she is supposed to either stop or give way to traffic on the main road or a major road,” he told.
The officer’s advice comes on the heels of a two-vehicle collision near a stop sign of a junction which took place on Sunday afternoon (6th January) along the Bay Road in the vicinity of Sol Gas Station in Basseterre, sending the two drivers to the hospital.
That the accident happened at about 4:28 PM involving PB431 (owned Waverley Richards) driven by Tejahd Richards of Conaree and PA3107 driven by Keona Morton of Bird Rock.
Circumstances surrounding the accident are that PA3107 was travelling west to east along the Bay Road in Newtown towards Bird Rock when PB431 was at the stop sign at the junction of Sandown Road and the Bay Road, came out of the stop when both vehicles collided.
Both drivers sustained injures and were taken to the Joseph N. France General Hospital via ambulance.
According to the source at the Traffic Department: “It is always the duty of any driver to use caution when approaching an intersection or junction.”
He further cautions that with failure to be alert while driving then “the possible or risk of being involved in a collision is probable.”
“Especially in residential areas, drivers are to be on the lookout for children and stray animals or any condition that could result in unforeseen circumstances that could affect safe driving,” he added.
The officer underscored the importance of being attentive while behind the wheel saying: “When you are operating a vehicle, it is important that you relieve yourself of anything that can cause distraction including your cellphone, and any other thing(s) in the vehicle that can cause you to be distracted and not focused on driving. Even with the radio on, one’s volume should be at a moderate level so that one can become very alert to the surroundings with both visual and hearing senses.”
Having given the general road safety advice, the officer remarked: “If persons follow these simple safety tips then some of the collisions we see on the road can be avoided.”