Jamaica convenes first national road safety meeting to reduce fatalities

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has directed the convening of Jamaica’s first multi-stakeholder National Road Safety Planning Meeting to accelerate efforts to reduce road fatalities. The initiative aims to meet a national commitment to halve road deaths by 2030.

Representing the Prime Minister, State Minister Senator Abka Fitz-Henley noted that while fatalities fell by 14 per cent in 2024, numbers increased again in 2025. To reach the 2030 target, the government must achieve a minimum annual decrease of 10 per cent for the next five years.

The meeting brought together the National Road Safety Council, government ministries, the private sector, and academia. The strategy is guided by a PAHO-commissioned assessment emphasizing the need for improved governance, coordination, and accountability. Moving forward, the National Road Safety Council intends to convene these planning cycles twice per year.