Lee Anna Maharaj
Reporter/Producer
leeanna.maharaj@guardian.co.tt
The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) is reporting a 33 percent reduction in road traffic deaths for 2025 so far, compared to the same period last year. Speaking on CNC3’s The Morning Brew on Monday, TTPS’ Road Traffic Coordinator, Sergeant Brent Batson, said that although he is pleased to report this statistic, the frequency of incidents remains a concern. Batson referred to Friday’s seven-vehicle collision along the eastbound lane of the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway, near the Valpark Shopping Plaza.
Batson warned motorists to maintain their distance from other vehicles in traffic.
“One of the biggest mistakes any driver can make, especially on the highway, is following vehicles too closely. That’s a pattern many drivers on the highway follow... The higher the speed, the more space the vehicle needs to stop. That’s why following distance increases with speed. In the regulations, it says one vehicle length for every 15 kilometres. The less space you leave between vehicles, the less time you’ll have to react to something on the highway,” he said.
Batson urged motorists to drive responsibly during the carnival and fete season. He added that citizens should exercise situational awareness and be mindful of crime to avoid having their vehicles stolen.
He said:
“You cannot park indiscriminately. You have to think about when this event is finished, where your vehicle is going to be. If you can’t get a secure park, maybe it might be wiser to take a rideshare, or hire a taxi, because your vehicle is your investment and your property, and we would prefer if you can park it at some sort of a secure venue, rather than have it on the public road to leave it to criminal opportunists that are trying to find any avenue to make their own carnival money.”
Batson also mentioned that so far, there have been minimal reports of incidents and violent situations during the carnival season.
