Barbados Road Safety Association Urges Focus on Signage and Road Markings Amid Road Upgrades; 10 Deaths Recorded This Year

The Barbados Road Safety Association has urged the authorities to pay more attention to the signage and road markings as upgraded roads in its mill and pave initiative, with 10 road deaths so far this year.

As final preparations continue for the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup, BRSA president Roland Lowe, told Barbados TODAY the multimillion-dollar road repair programme around the island, particularly in and around Bridgetown, should be seen as a positive sign for road safety.

But he noted that more attention should be paid to signage and markings in accident-prone areas.

He said: “You are repairing the issues on the road in terms of potholes, but also I am seeing some markings and remarkings being done, and that is a good thing. Some persons had raised that as a concern in some of the forums, relative to not being sure where some of the markings [on the roads] would have been unclear.

“What I would say to that too is that some of the markings [need] some uniformity, especially relating to roundabouts. The Sir Garfield Sobers Roundabout, I have a concern in relation to the markings there and the lane assignments as you proceed down to Rendezvous Hill. I want to call on the ministry to rethink the markings there. They still cause some confusion, and it’s causing some persons to change lanes at the mouth of the roundabout.”

Barbados recorded its 10th road death for the year on Wednesday after a motor vehicle collided with a pedestrian.

Lowe also noted that with the World Cup quickly approaching in a matter of days, Barbadians should be extra cautious while making their way around the country.

“We want people to adhere to the message…pay more attention on the roads,” the BRSA president said. “With World Cup and Crop Over coming up, roads will be busy [and] there will be delays on the road. Drive with due care and attention and look out for other persons on the road.

“In relation to the fatalities we continue to see, it’s a worrying situation. Barbados as a whole, the general public [doesn’t] like to see it. That person who is [killed] on the road, is somebody’s family, is somebody’s friend. We just want to appeal to persons to take their time while they are on the road.”

Lowe also spoke of a recent incident in which a Queen Elizabeth Hospital ambulance was damaged when a tailgating vehicle ran into the back of it, saying the practice was dangerous and needs to stop.

“You are not supposed to be tailgating or driving that close behind emergency vehicles, especially when that vehicle has its flashing lights and sirens on. You have to give them that space; you don’t know what will happen when that vehicle comes across another [road user] who will react in a different manner to the lights or the sirens and they have to make some sort of evasive manoeuvre with you right up under them. There will be a possibility of some type of collusion occurring.”