Sunday nights are the deadliest time on Guyana’s roads, Prime Minister Mark Phillips has said, urging motorists to adopt safer driving habits as the country observes National Road Safety Month.
Speaking at the recent launch of the campaign in Region Five, held under the theme “Safe Driving, Save Lives,” Phillips said most fatal crashes occur on Sundays and at night.
He noted that Sundays, “a day meant for family, rest, and worship,” too often end in tragedy due to road accidents, particularly during evening hours.
“Fatal accidents are most likely to occur between 6 PM and midnight, when fatigue, poor visibility, and impaired driving combine with deadly consequences,” PM Phillips stated, adding that “these are warning signs that demand behavioural change.”
He urged motorists driving late at night to slow down, to have a designated driver when returning from social gatherings on Sunday evenings, and to avoid alcohol entirely.
Alcohol and driving, he explained, do not go hand in hand. He reminded drivers that they are responsible not only for their own lives but also for the lives of others on the road.
Between 2020 and 2024, some 642 deaths from 574 fatal crashes — including 24 children — were recorded. The yearly figures show: 2020 – 125 accidents with 139 deaths; 2021 – 92 accidents with 97 deaths; 2022 – 92 accidents with 99 deaths; 2023 – 148 accidents with 175 deaths; and 2024 – 117 accidents with 132 deaths.
“While we have seen fluctuations, the overall picture demands urgent and sustained action,” he said, emphasising that the government’s road safety efforts aim to save lives and promote a culture of responsible driving nationwide.
