Enforcement must drive road safety reform

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Mark Shields’ Sunday Gleaner column makes a clear argument that modern traffic lights may improve traffic flow, but enforcement is what will save lives.

There is no dispute that upgrading signal systems with camera-based detection is a positive step. But a system that moves vehicles through intersections more smoothly will not deter a driver who intends to speed, run a red light, overtake recklessly, or ignore basic lane discipline. Without consequences, dangerous behaviour persists.

As Shields rightly notes, road safety improves when drivers believe they will be caught. Countries that achieved sustained reductions in road deaths did so through consistent, automated enforcement – red-light cameras, speed cameras, and licence-plate recognition systems. These tools remove guesswork from policing and replace sporadic enforcement with certainty. When detection is consistent and penalties are unavoidable, behaviour changes.

Every serious collision places strain on emergency responders, hospital trauma units, orthopaedic wards, neurosurgical teams, and rehabilitation services. There are long-term costs: disability support, lost income, reduced productivity, and families forced into caregiving roles. Many victims never return to the workforce. The ripple effect touches employers, communities, and the national economy. Preventing crashes is far less costly than treating their consequences.

Shields also raises a critical structural issue: the separation of traffic management from traffic enforcement. If traffic systems are modernized under one ministry while enforcement policy is housed elsewhere, coordination slows and accountability becomes blurred. Bringing traffic management and electronic enforcement under one coherent authority would allow

Importantly, electronic enforcement reduces opportunities for roadside confrontation, minimizes allegations of bias or corruption, and creates a transparent system where penalties are applied consistently. It can generate revenue, but its true value lies in deterrence and behavioural change. When drivers understand that violations will trigger automatic consequences, compliance becomes the norm rather than the exception.

Jamaica has heard promises for years about amendments to enable full electronic enforcement. Meanwhile, road deaths continue at unacceptable levels. The urgency applied to tackling violent crime must now be matched with urgency in addressing road fatalities. Smart traffic lights are welcome, but without enforcement, they are incomplete.

ROBERT DALLEY

robertdalley1r@proton.me