Road Accident Fatalities in Jamaica before and during the Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) Pandemic

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Paul Andrew Bourne
Department of Institutional Research, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, WI.
Dennis Marlon Brook
Jamaica Constabulary Force, Kingston, Jamaica, WI.
Caroline McLean
Department of Nursing, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, WI.
James Fallah
Department of Dental Hygiene, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, WI.
Calvin Campbell
Department of Mathematics and Engineering, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, WI.
Clifton Foster
Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, WI.
Michael Burke
Department of Quality Management and Institutional Research, Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, WI.

Abstract

Introduction: Road crashes have devastating impacts on both victims and their families and carry an economic repercussion, affecting 20 to 50 million survivors with 1.35 million killed in crashes each year globally.


Objectives: This study explores road accident fatalities and its impacts in Jamaica before and after COVID-19 pandemic.


Methods: This study employs an objectivistic epistemology. In keeping with an objectivistic perspective, this research utilized a correlational research design to answer the research question. Data was stored, retrieved and analyzed using the Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows version 25.0. Data analysis occurred using descriptive statistics, percentages and frequency distributions, and multivariate analyses.


Findings: The results revealed that over the last 48 years, road traffic accidents has claimed the lives of 17,118 people in Jamaica, with an average of 357±50 people. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, road fatalities declined by less than 2%, with the most significant annual increase occurring in 2018 over 2017 (20.8%).


Conclusion: The consensus among entities is the need for strategies that align with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to ensure a potential global decrease in accident fatalities as one fatality is one too many. The government of Jamaica should consider reviewing current road safety policies to ensure that they alignwith global strategies trending toward improving road infrastructure as there is a current need locally.

Article Details

Issue
Vol 5 No 1 (2021): International Journal of Construction & Architecture Innovations [ISSN: 2581-4184]
Section
Articles