Road deaths rose by 76.8% last year

From left to right are Minister of Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Andre Ally, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn and Commissioner of Police (ag) Clifton Hicken.

Traffic deaths, fires and murders saw sharp increases last year but overall there was a reduction in serious crime of 15.7%.

This is according to statistics provided by Minis-ter of Home Affairs Robeson Benn at a press conference yesterday to review 2023.

The stats showed that fatal accidents saw a dramatic increase in 2023, with a rise of 76.8% in fatalities compared to the previous year. Speeding was identified as the primary cause.

Efforts to improve road safety include enhancing driver education and training programmes, targeted awareness campaigns, improving infrastructure and road design, promoting the use of safety equipment, strengthening law enforcement and traffic regulations, and conducting research and data analysis.