This year, the amount of traffic fatalities is keeping pace with the amount of homicides,  according to Minister of Transport  and Local Government Frankie Campbell. 

The government joined forces the F.I.A (Federation Internationale L’Automobile) this past  weekend, which serves as the international platform for road safety.

The organization, which started in France, has been in existence for over 100 years and promotes safe, sustainable and accessible mobility for all road users across the world. 

In honor of the United Nations Global Road Safety Week, the Road Traffic Department and the F.I.A. set up an exhibit in the Marathon Mall to raise awareness of the cause. 

Minister  Campbell revealed that he was once knocked down by a car when he was younger and that experience has made him passionate about this initiative. 

Junior Road Safety Officers joined the minister to distribute flyers featuring 11 road safety rules. 

Mr. Campbell said that he has a number of issues surrounding this topic that he would like to address. 

He said, “the other thing that worries me is that we are having more and more disabled persons and amputees, who are born with all of their physical abilities, but as a result of traffic accidents; they are now disabled and we’re not hearing much of their stories because only the fatalities make the headlines.

“These are persons who were once bread winners for their families, and they are now dependent. They have now become a strain on the family. They cannot provide, by they are in need of constant and continuous care. If we can do anything to reduce those issues, I think we would’ve added quality into the lives of our citizenry.” 

Mr. Campbell also expressed why he believes that primary school students should take the lead in this initiative. 

He said, “I’ve realized that some of our older citizens are set in their ways. So, I’ve gone to the primary schools to solicit the assistance of our Junior Road Safety Officers, who will say to their parents. ‘Daddy, you shouldn’t be talking on the phone. That’s not safe while you’re driving.’, ‘Mommy, you shouldn’t be putting on your makeup in the car. That’s not safe while we’re driving.

“If we can get them just to remember one, two, or three safety tips from the primary school age, as they grow it will stay with them and they will become the safe drivers of tomorrow,” said Mr. Campbell.

President of the Bahamas Motorsports Association (F.I.A.), David McLaughlin, said that the organization wants to focus particularly on texting and driving. 

He said, “the single biggest cause of road deaths now is distracted driving. So, it’s texting when driving, and in the United States, for example, road accidents have been coming down for 30 years, but last year they went up sharply for one reason only which was people texting. Here, sadly I have to say in The Bahamas it’s endemic. Everyone is on the phone or texting when they’re driving.” 

Attendees also got a chance to watch a short film  entitled  “Save Kids Lives” by French Filmmaker Luc Besson. 

Mr. McLaughlin said that Besson made this film to demonstrate the dangers kids all over the world face while commuting to school on foot.