The UK is working with Jamaica to drive down its road deaths

A new partnership between Jamaica and the UK is intended to reduce road deaths in the Caribbean country. This novel agreement on improving road safety forms part of international twinning programme. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the International Transport Forum (ITF) at the OECD are joining forces for this twinning initiative. Under the programme Jamaica and the UK will promote the implementation of best practices in road safety data collection. The goal of the twinning is to help Jamaica a
April 11, 2013 Read time: 3 mins
RSSA new partnership between Jamaica and the UK is intended to reduce road deaths in the Caribbean country. This novel agreement on improving road safety forms part of international twinning programme. The 2791 Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the 1102 International Transport Forum (ITF) at the OECD are joining forces for this twinning initiative. Under the programme Jamaica and the UK will promote the implementation of best practices in road safety data collection. The goal of the twinning is to help Jamaica align its road safety data to international standards - as recommended by ITF’s International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group (IRTAD) - as an important step towards more effective road safety policies. Compared with the Americas as a whole, the share of road deaths in the non-Latin Caribbean is currently more than 2.5 times higher than its share of registered vehicles. The Road Safety Unit of Jamaica’s Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing is leading the way on road crash data in the Caribbean. With the help of the twinning programme, Jamaica will be put into a position to share best practices and knowledge with other countries in the region.

The first aspect of the twinning initiative is currently being carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory (777 TRL) and has the financial support of IDB. It involves a comprehensive review of how data relevant for road safety analyses are collected, stored, analysed in Jamaica, and how they are then used to inform road safety strategies and interventions. As part of the review, the TRL team interviewed representatives from the Jamaican Police Force, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of National Security, universities and the Maritime Training Institute. During a one-day workshop, participants were presented with crash data systems and how to devise evidence-led road safety policies to more than 70 participants from seven other Caribbean countries (Jamaica, Barbados, Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Belize and Guyana) which was organised by IDB.

Under the objectives of the IDB´s Road Safety Strategy for the Latin American and the Caribbean region, the bank aims to support the Latin American countries in strengthening their institutional and technical capacities in road safety throughout activities such this. The International Transport Forum initiated the first road safety twinning programme between Argentina and Spain in 2009, which subsequently led to the creation of the Ibero American Road Safety Observatory. The joint initiative of ITF, IDB and the Jamaican and UK governments forms part of their commitment to the United Nation’s 3439 Decade of Action for Road Safety, which aims to stabilise and reduce the number of global road fatalities, currently at 1.3 million/year, by 2020.

Related Content

  • Digital cameras and VMS improve London and Scottish road safety
    March 18, 2016
    London and Scotland are using VMS and digital cameras to successfully lower road deaths. Road safety measures such as variable message signs (VMS) and digital cameras have boosted road safety in the UK capital London and also in the Scottish Highlands. And the systems need not be a drain on electricity supplies. Full matrix driver information signs from SWARCO Traffic, one of the UK’s leading traffic management technology providers, are being installed for the first time across the Transport for London (TfL
    Read More
  • Reserve your place at the 1st European Road Infrastructure Congress (ERIC)
    September 13, 2016
    With the 1st European Road Infrastructure Congress less than 100 days away, the organising team is pleased to share the event’s latest developments. Why attend? Attractive business opportunities. Despite the vote in the British referendum on 23 June, the UK will continue to be one of the most promising EU markets in terms of road infrastructure development. The recently established Highways England plans to renovate up to 80% of England’s strategic road network within the coming years, which will also incl
    Read More
  • The US National Operations Centre of Excellence launches website
    January 21, 2015
    In the United States, the National Operations Centre of Excellence has officially launched a web site to provide the transportation sector with the latest knowledge and management tools. Practitioners, researchers and policymakers will find on the site the latest resources and have the opportunity to discuss topics related to systems management and operations. The centre launched its website at the Transportation Research Board annual meeting in Washington, D.C. in mid January. Click here to view the site
    Read More
  • Tanzania delivers road construction boost
    November 2, 2012
    Plans to upgrade two major roads in Tanzania will bring huge benefits to the East African nation. Shem Oirere reports Tanzania’s bid to retain or improve its position as East Africa’s second largest economy is gaining momentum as the government moves to support the achieved growth and contribute more to ongoing regional economic integration through the improvement of its transport infrastructure. The country received a major boost in April, 2012, when the African Development Bank (AfDB), one of Tanzania lea
    Read More

Highlighted Content