Police report lowest road fatalities in 63 years

The police will be continuing their efforts to reduce the number of fatal road traffic accidents (RTAs) for the new year, as 2020 was recorded as having one of the lowest number road fatalities in TT's history, a police media release reported on Monday.

The release said there were 96 road deaths in 2020, the lowest figure recorded since 1957.

Police road safety project co-ordinator Sgt Brent Batson said the police would be ramping up their operations to further reduce the figure with the rollout of the iRoadsafe education campaign and closer stakeholder collaboration with the Licensing Authority, Arrive Alive and the Insurance Association.

He commented, "We will never know whose lives we may have saved, but just knowing at least 25 persons are still with their families because of the dedicated efforts of traffic law enforcement officers is enough reason to double our efforts in 2021."

Snr Supt of the police Traffic Branch Wayne Mystar
said while he was pleased with the significant reduction in road deaths last year, the police would not become complacent.

The release noted that for Old Year's Day, all units of the police Traffic and Highway Patrol Unit began "high-visibility" operations aimed at targeting reckless and dangerous drivers. This led to 269 speeding tickets being issued.

The police are also urging drivers to obey the law to avoid being fined or issued demerit points.