Road Safety Alert: Navigating Debris and Dark Intersections After Hurricane Beryl

Road Safety Alert: Motorists are being advised to exercise caution when approaching signalised roadways damaged by Hurricane Beryl. The powerful category four hurricane’s eye passed just 45 miles south of Kingston, leaving many Jamaicans without electricity. These outages have disrupted several traffic signals, creating potentially hazardous driving conditions.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Gary McKenzie, Head of the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB), reported that personnel have been deployed to maintain order in areas where traffic signals are not operational. “One of the things that we have been doing is to monitor our major intersections. Where there is a lot of traffic, we have sought to take control of those major intersections and control traffic in other areas. We try to be present to ensure that traffic flows freely and that there is order,” ACP McKenzie explained.

Debris, silt, and waste material on the roadways pose additional dangers, particularly for motorcyclists. ACP McKenzie urged motorists to navigate the roads with extreme caution. “The necessity to be careful cannot be overstated. We recognise that electricity is out, not only where intersections are concerned, but as it relates to streetlights and within some communities. So during the night, we try to occupy strategic points along the highways and main thoroughfares to ensure that we are visible and are able to assist motorists in the case of emergencies,” he emphasized.

The police will continue to monitor road conditions in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl. “We continue to sweep the streets to ensure that if there are any obstructions, we can continue communicating with the National Works Agency. We are very much in touch still with ODPEM (Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management) and other key partners so that, where we have situations that need to be dealt with, then we deal with them,” ACP McKenzie assured.