Also urges motorists to be more vigilant
NASSAU, BAHAMAS – On the heels of two traffic fatalities less than four hours apart on Sunday night and hours later on Monday morning, Minister of Transport and Local Government, Renward Wells said the government must re-examine the Road Traffic Act, but at the same time he warned motorists to be more cautious and vigilant when driving.
“We need to address it now,” the minister said about the Road Traffic Act.
Wells explained that motorists in New Providence are mainly accustomed to driving in one lane of traffic but in an effort to modernize the road system of The Bahamas, more highways with several lanes were built in the capital, which has also led to an increase in traffic accidents.
“And so with our speed limit being 45 miles per hour in a lot of places and Bahamians just chugging along one car behind the other, you could get away with certain things,[but] when you have dual lane highways where someone could travel at 100 miles an hour, looking at the cellphone for a second [and] picking that up and drinking, there are a lot more issues [that can arise] when you are moving at that rate of speed,” Wells said.
According to police reports, the first weekend traffic fatality happened shortly after 11:00 p.m. on Sunday when police were called to the scene of a traffic accident on East Bay Street involving a male driving a black Honda Coup.
Police said the driver lost control of the vehicle and collided into a wall.
The driver died on the scene and the passenger was hospitalized and listed in stable condition.
In the second incident, police reported that shortly after 2 a.m. on Monday, police were called to the scene of a traffic accident on Baillou Hill and Wulff Roads involving two vehicles – a dark blue Honda Accord and a light blue Honda Accord – driven by two males which collided into one another.
A male pedestrian was struck and died on the scene.
Meanwhile, Mareno Hinds, the second in command at the Royal Bahamas Police Force Traffic Division, warned the public of the dangers of driving under the influence.
“We would like to caution all Bahamians that while they drive the streets of New Providence to drink alcohol in moderation, not speed, and ensure that their seatbelts are securely fastened,” said Hinds who was present at the scene of both fatalities on Sunday night and on Monday morning.
