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Prime Minister Mark Phillips has emphasised the need for stricter enforcement of traffic regulations, stressing that every violation – no matter how minor it may appear – must be treated with the utmost seriousness. “Because when we overlook small breaches – like speeding, overtaking dangerously, ignoring pedestrians – we lay the foundation for bigger tragedies,” the Prime Minister explained on Friday during the launch of Road Safety Month 2025. At the event, he disclosed that from 2020-2024, there were 574 fatal accidents recorded, resulting in 642 deaths, 24 of which were children. A breakdown of those figures shows that in 2020, there were 125 fatal accidents resulting in 139 deaths; in 2021, there were 92 fatal accidents resulting in 97 deaths; in 2022, there were 92 fatal accidents resulting in 99 deaths; in 2023, there were 148 accidents resulting in 175 deaths; and in 2024, there were 117 fatal accidents resulting in 132 deaths. The PM said the data also shows that most fatal accidents occur in the evening, between the hours of 6pm and midnight – a time when fatigue, poor visibility and impaired driving are often combined. Additionally, he said the most common day in which fatal accidents occur are Sundays. This data, he indicated, points to behavioural patterns that can be addressed in an effort to curb these accidents. “When you’re driving at late hours, slow down, that’s all you have to do…when you’re returning from a social gathering on a Sunday evening, make the conscious decision to designate a driver and the hard one, for many people…to avoid alcohol. Alcohol and driving don’t go hand in hand,” the PM emphasised. “Remember that you are responsible not only for your own life but the lives of others sharing the road,” he added. Moreover, the PM said other road users must also play a role in road safety. “We are calling on pedestrians, cyclists and every road user to exercise vigilance and care because behind every accident lies a story of loss and preventable tragedy,” the PM expressed. Referring to the recent road accident that claimed the life of a 15-year-old schoolboy, he noted that every life lost on the road is a “painful reminder that our roadways are still claiming innocent lives and that every life lost is one too many.” “We owe it to his memory and his grieving family, and to every family that has suffered such loss, to strengthen our awareness, our enforcement and our individual responsibility,” PM Phillips affirmed. In this regard, in urging traffic officers to improve their enforcement of the road rules, the Prime Minister also encouraged that they do so with “fairness” and “firmness”. To road users, he reminded that “there is no shame in obeying the law”. On the government’s part, the Prime Minister said they will continue to make the necessary investments to expand enforcement capacity, improve road infrastructure and expand the smart city programme. Also speaking at the event was Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond who noted that “in the coming year, we will expand the use of the smart technology to detect traffic violations in real time, we will strengthen driver education and continuous training for commercial and public transport operators, work with the Ministry of Education to enhance road safety education in schools…” The focus this year, she said, is on changing attitudes and enhancing public awareness campaigns on road safety. “Our goal is clear: to make Guyana’s roads safer for all users across all regions,” she said. Meanwhile, Traffic Chief Assistant Commissioner Mahendra Singh contended that the Traffic Department of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is not the only part in the equation responsible for achieving safer roadways. “Road safety is everyone’s business,” he emphasised, noting that for the year so far, there have been 108 lives lost in road accidents. Road Safety Month 2025 was launched under the theme “Careful Driving, Save Lives”.
