Belize City, Belize, October 25, 2022 (PAHO) – With the increasing rate of road traffic incidents (RTIs) in the country, the Second Road Safety Project in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and the Ministry of Health & Wellness (MoHW) with funding support from the United States Government embarked on a Road Safety Education Campaign involving the placement of billboards on all major highways throughout Belize.
Globally, RTIs are already one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity. By 2030, it is predicted to be the fifth leading cause of mortality in the world if the current trend continues. According to the Joint Intelligence Coordinating Centre (JICC) data, there have been 234 road traffic incidents and 338 road traffic injuries from January to September 2022 in Belize, of which 63 were fatal. With this alarming rate, it is imperative to continue to raise road safety awareness through collaborative efforts and health education.
This multi-agency effort brought to the forefront the need to focus on road safety to ensure that road traffic incidents and loss of life are drastically reduced on Belize’s highways. The billboards focused particularly on two of the common factors related to road traffic crashes and fatalities - speeding and drunk driving. The goal was to remind drivers not to ‘Wait till it’s too late’ to make the right decision before getting behind the wheel of a vehicle to drive on the roads and highways.
Various factors played a role in the location selection process for the billboards. Specifically, the driving direction and the main starting points along the highways were carefully taken into consideration and one billboard in each district was installed at the following locations:
- Mile 6.2, on the Philip Goldson Highway
- Mile 78.5, on the Philip Goldson Highway
- Mile 66.5, on the George Price Highway
- Mile 14, on the George Price Highway
- Mile 8, on the Southern Highway
- Mile 6.5, on the Stann Creek Valley Road
Road users are urged to slow down, don’t drink and drive, buckle up and drive safely to ensure no more lives are lost to RTIs. The Second Road Safety Project and the MoHW continue to work with partners like PAHO/WHO and the United States Government to create healthy communities in a safe environment with access to quick and responsible health information.
