Transport Minister Daryl Vaz expressing deep concern over continued loss of lives on the nation’s roads

August 17, 2026

Transport Minister Daryl Vaz is expressing deep concern over the continued loss of lives on the nation’s roads, following weekend fatalities that claimed nine lives from eight collisions between Friday and Sunday.

The crashes occurred in St. James, St. Ann, St. Mary, St. Thomas and St. Catherine, including a fatal collision on the P.J. Patterson Highway.

The latest incidents have pushed road fatalities to 210, including two children aged 11 and 14 from 181 collisions.

The Transport Ministry says the latest deaths underscore the severity of the country’s road safety crisis and the urgent need for motorists to change their behaviour.

Mr. Vaz states that the weekend’s fatalities are deeply troubling and should serve as a stark warning to every road user of the importance of using the roads carefully.

He further stresses that the continued loss of lives cannot be normalized.

He adds that Jamaicans cannot become numb to the numbers, stating that with 210 road fatalities, it must be recognized that the country is facing a serious national crisis.

He says every driver has a responsibility to protect life, pointing out that excessive speeding, reckless overtaking, dangerous manoeuvring, impaired driving and other irresponsible behaviour have consequences, and those consequences are often irreversible.

He reiterates that while the government continues to invest in road infrastructure, enforcement, public education and other road-safety measures, no infrastructure or enforcement programme can substitute for responsible behaviour by motorists.

As the summer holidays end and families prepare for the start of the new school term in September, Mr. Vaz is urging motorists to exercise even greater care, as traffic volumes increase and more children, parents, and commuters return to the roads.

Mr. Vaz is also making a renewed appeal for Jamaicans to treat road safety as a shared national responsibility and to help bring an end to the needless deaths occurring on the nation’s roads.