By Mark DaCosta- The injury of a senior police officer in a serious road collision on the East Bank of Demerara is yet another reminder that no one is immune from Guyana’s worsening road safety crisis. While the Deputy Superintendent is expected to recover, scores of other Guyanese have not been as fortunate. Fatal collisions continue to claim lives with alarming frequency, exposing the limitations of the Government’s much-publicised road safety initiatives.

The Guyana Police Force recently released statistics covering the first 170 days of 2026, revealing a disturbing increase in fatal road accidents. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Andre Ally, disclosed that 56 fatal accidents and 62 deaths were recorded during the period, compared with 54 fatal accidents and 58 deaths during the corresponding period in 2025. Deputy Commissioner Ravindradat Budhram acknowledged that fatal accidents have increased by four per cent while road deaths are up seven per cent.

The figures are, in Ally’s own words, “sobering.” He said road safety must be treated as a national priority, warning that, “Speed determines whether a crash occurs, whether a pedestrian survives or whether a family receives a phone call about an injury or a death.” According to Ally, speeding accounted for 75 per cent of all fatal accidents recorded so far this year. Distracted driving, mobile phone use behind the wheel, failure to wear seat belts, and the non-use of helmets were also identified as significant contributing factors.