Minister of Transport and Mining Audley Shaw has issued an urgent appeal to motorists to exercise more responsible use of the nation’s roads.

This comes after preliminary data revealed a whopping 200 percent increase in road fatalities among public passenger vehicle (PPV) drivers, moving from one in 2021 to three as of June 26.

This figure as underscored by Minister comes as a result of excessive speeding, failure to keep the traffic lane, inappropriate use of the road and failure to use the necessary protective devices such as seatbelts and helmets.

“I am urging all Jamaicans to slow down on the roads. There is no need for excessive speeding. Motorists and motorcyclists must take responsibility for their actions and obey the rules and regulations that govern the use of our roads, because there are serious consequences for delinquent actions ” he pointed out.

So far, data from the Road Safety Unit has also revealed that as of July 26, approximately 272 Jamaicans have been killed on the nation’s roadways, which is a one per cent decline over the 275 road fatalities for the same period in 2021.

As such, Minister Shaw is imploring road users to adhere to the rules and regulations as outlined by the Road Safety Unit in order to prevent a further influx of road fatalities.