The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service is urging pedestrians to exercise greater care and caution when attempting to cross roadways in close proximity to large trucks.
Pedestrians are reminded large trucks especially Extra-Heavy Goods Vehicles have large blind-spots, which can greatly reduce the visibility of drivers at certain angles.
These areas include directly to the front of the vehicle, the rear of the vehicle outside of the view of the driver’s side view mirrors and approximately 45 degrees to the either side of the truck drivers’ side mirrors.
This handicap of truck drivers’ line of sight is one of the main reasons truck drivers must be on higher levels of alertness, especially along busy main roads or other areas where there is a large volume of pedestrian traffic.
For the year 2024, there has been five road traffic deaths involving pedestrians and heavy goods vehicles.
Yesterday’s incident involving a large Tractor Trailer Unit which took the life of a 57-year-old woman, which occurred along the main road in Montrose, Chaguanas, was yet another reminder of how quickly poor
judgement can lead to the tragic loss of life on the roadway.
TTPS Road Safety Coordinator, Sgt. Brent Batson advises all road users to remember that heavier vehicles need more space to maneuver safely, which includes moving off, stopping and turning.
Data from the Traffic and Highway Patrol Brach Roadway Surveillance Unit, indicates pedestrian deaths for 2024 continues to be a major challenge in road safety efforts, with 34 pedestrians killed trying to cross
the roadway.
This figure represents a 100% increase for the same period in 2023.
Last night, Highway Patrol officers responded to yet another fatal incident on the Churchill Roosevelt Highway involving a pedestrian, bringing the 2024 road death toll to 74, a 10% increase from last year.
Senior Superintendent of the Traffic and Highway Patrol Branch, David Powder, expressed the challenges his section faces to reduce the number of pedestrians killed attempting to cross the highways.