Call for justice

A SLAP on the wrist.

That’s how President of the Barbados Road Safety Association, Charmaine Roland-Bowen, describes the current punishment being meted out to persons causing road fatalities on the roads of Barbados.

She voiced her concern after unveiling a billboard in Warrens roundabout yesterday afternoon, showing eight figures, which represent the eight persons who were killed on Barbados’ roads in 2016.

“It is sending a message and telling all persons, especially the authorities and our judicial system, that there are people, behind the numbers,” she said.

While eight is a significant reduction over the 21 persons who lost their lives in 2015, the road safety advocate believes that figure could be zero if persons would only adhere to traffic regulations and give due care to others on the road.

Speaking earlier at a special service held at the Church of the Nazarene on Collymore Rock, to remember the lives of those who died on the island’s roads and their family members, Roland-Bowen called for stricter penalties for persons who cause these deadly collisions.

“Our judicial system seems to be failing us. This day, the United Nations Day of World Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims and their families... currently in Barbados we are failing in that area. Our judicial system is currently failing.”

The president, who stated that she too was in a near fatal crash, said while she is alive to tell the tale, she still feels as though she was not represented by the justice system.

“So I can imagine what it is like for persons who have lost a loved one who are looking for justice. This justice seems to be more or less having the perpetrators, or the persons who were sentenced, they are getting away with a slap on the wrist.

“We need to revisit our penalties and sentencing laws where we are giving people fines. $3000... maybe even less... no amount of money can compensate for a life that has been lost. We need change on our roads and people to respect our travel laws. First we need to make penalties a deterrent. Set them high that they can deter persons.

“In some cases where the culpability is high and where there are aggravating factors to warrant it, start sending persons to prison... I cant remember in my years in Road safety that any person went to prison for a road fatality.

“No matter what the circumstances, we seem not to be doing that. And if we are basing our laws on international standards... they send persons to prison,” she exhorted.

As it relates to breathalyser testing, she noted that at present, there is no way to determine if alcohol was a contributing factor in an accident.

“If you have people drinking and going out there and getting involved in collisions, and people dying and you can’t test them to see so that you don’t give them a slap on the wrist... this is totally wrong. These are lives we are dealing with, and we need to take this seriously.”

She said the BRSA will continue to educate the public, but conceded that the organisation still has to await the law makers to make breathalyser testing a reality. She said this also extends to driving while distracted.

“If people know the consequences of driving recklessly is a little fine, they are not going to change behaviours.”

Joining Roland-Bowen yesterday were some of the family members of victims of road fatalities. Speaking on their behalf was Judith Noel, mother of 49-year-old Euwin Noel who died tragically on March 13 of this year, in Sion Hill St. James. In addition to her emotional distress, the mother said the tragedy also led to two heart conditions.

“They are taking too long to serve justice. Eight months is too long. I couldn’t tell the undertaker wait for eight or ten months to pay for his death. It is definitely too long,” she lamented.

The matriarch of the family said the driver was charged $10 000, which she too described as a slap on the wrist. (JH)