Flying debris danger on North Coast Highway, truckers warned

Motorists travelling along the St Mary stretch of the North Coast Highway are being put at risk daily as falling debris from trucks continues to create a dangerous driving nightmare.

Parish Disaster Coordinator Adrian Tate has sounded the alarm, warning that the situation has become a serious safety concern for road users.

"We're having serious issues along this main thoroughfare with the truckers creating a hazard on our main roads," Tate said during a meeting at the St Mary Municipal Corporation on Tuesday.

He revealed that chunks of aggregate falling from trucks have already caused damage and injuries.

"We've seen where it has caused damage to windscreens and persons have gotten injured based on falling aggregates from these trucks while traversing behind them," he added.

Authorities have now moved to crack down on the problem, with enforcement teams from the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Island Traffic Authority monitoring the highway.

"There's a team currently monitoring these areas... so there's enforcement along the main thoroughfare," Tate said, noting that efforts are being ramped up to penalise offenders.

Despite the long-standing issue, Tate said there have been slight improvements, but warned that more needs to be done to ensure full compliance.

One of the major concerns is that many truck operators continue to travel with uncovered or poorly secured loads, increasing the risk to other motorists.

Tate is now urging truckers to follow the rules and secure their loads properly before hitting the road.

"To the truckers leaving the aggregate plants, please adhere to the police restrictions and guidelines on the main road. The appropriate way for truckers to carry their load is to have it secured and not overloaded," he said.

- JIS

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