IN an effort to reduce the carnage on the island’s roadways, the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) is embarking on a public education campaign targeting males, who, according to stats, factor heavily in fatal crashes.

The new campaign, with its message being ‘It Could Be You’, was launched at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in St Andrew recently.

Dr Lucien Jones, NRSC’s vice-chairman, shared the campaign’s aims and objectives.

“This campaign is unique compared to previous ones undertaken by the NRSC. This one is appealing to the males. We’re hoping that with its pointed message: ‘It Could Be You’, it sends a message for the target audience to take personal responsibility for their safety on the roadways,” Jones told the Jamaica Observer‘s weekly Auto magazine.

According to figures from the Road Safety Unit (RSU) in the Ministry of Transport and Mining, road fatality figure currently stands at 57, with males numbering 54. This spike in fatalities when compared to the corresponding period last year with 46 deaths of which 42 were males.

“Males account for approximately 80 per cent of the road fatalities. We’re hoping the campaign will have an impact and drive down the number of people dying on the roads. We’re doing the campaign in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. It will be running for three to six months on radio, TV, newspapers and billboards,” said the vice-chairman.

The campaign hopes to mitigate drinking and driving; driving recklessly; smoking of marijuana while driving; speeding; and distractions, such as cell phone use, while at the steering wheel.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/auto/safety-campaign-targets-males_157772