The Land Transport Authority is declaring the month of August as the month to fight against road accidents.
While launching the campaign at Valelevu the LTA chief executive officer Mr Naisa Tuinaceva reminded participants of the seriousness of road fatalities in Fiji.
“From 23 fatalities so far this year, 14 alone were due to speeding and losing control of vehicles. Seven fatalities were because of dangerous driving and one was due to drink driving,” Mr Tuinaceva said.
“It is alarming to note the statistics of over speeding in Fiji.
“Statistics is increasing every year around 18,000 bookings every year, still people are not learning.
“So we are going to get the penalty up, to be a deterrent for over speeding. We will put up a proposal where we will amend most of these fines.”
Mr Tuinaceva said the LTA would also be reaching out to at least 20 Indian communities with road safety message as most of the people dying on our roads are of Indian ethnicity.
Mr Tuinaceva is optimistic that by increasing the penalty on bad drivers it will help drivers to think twice about over speeding.
The campaign is being organised by the LTA, the National Road Safety Council and the Fiji Police Force.
National Road Safety Council executive Mr Timoci Satakala said it was a fact that for a small country like Fiji there were so many cars.
“In every three person in Fiji one owns a car which means for every family one owns a car,” Mr Satakala said.
“The police are handing out brochures to create awareness on over speeding.”
In support of the campaign Mr Satakala said the NRSC would be visiting 200 pre-school this month to make awareness and continue education on road safety.
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