From:TheBahamasWeekly.com

News
Road Safety Exhibit at Marathon Mall on Saturday
By Diane Philips & Associates
May 11, 2018 - 12:34:52 PM


David-McLaughlin.jpg
David McLaughlin

Dangers of Distracted Driving to Take Center Stage Saturday, May 12, 2018, at the United Nation Global Road Safety Week Marathon Mall Exhibit

Nassau, Bahamas - A ride in the Formula One race simulator at the Mall at Marathon located outside Kelly’s House & Home entrance, this Saturday is expected to drive home a message that many Bahamians have for years ignored – texting and driving do not mix.

Saturday, May 12, kicks off the event of the Bahamas Motor Sports Association for the United Nations Global Road Safety Week, an initiative backed by the FIA, the governing body for motor sports world-wide, the Ministry of Transport and the National and Junior Road Safety Committees.

“We intend to have an FIA race simulator at The Mall. We will encourage people to drive a few laps of the Brands Hatch Race Circuit at relatively slow speeds and then we will ask them to send a short text whilst doing so… and see what the results are,” said David McLaughlin, president of the Bahamas Motor Sports Association.

The road safety live demo aims to bring positive results, moving the nation further away from shocking statistic which saw road deaths occur at the same pace as homicides during the first two months of this year. It is unclear to what extent distracted driving played a factor in those tragedies.

Across the globe, distracted driving – mostly due to texting – is contributing to a spike in traffic fatalities. According to world stats, a child dies on his or her way to school every 30 seconds.

“At the legal speed limit of 30 mph, a car travels 44 feet every second so just glancing at a cell phone can easily cause an accident resulting in injury, or worse,” said McLaughlin, a former race driver and current race event organizer.

“It is happening in every country, but the use of cell phones while driving appears to be extremely high in The Bahamas.”

During the weekend event, Junior Road Safety Ambassadors, nominated at ceremonies at Columbus Primary School and Galvin Tynes Primary School, as well as the Bahamians, who were trained as Trainers of EduKarting, will distribute leaflets on the Ten Golden Rules of safe driving.

Transport Minister, The Hon Frankie Campbell is also expected to make an appearance.




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