Why Jamaican Motorcyclists will now have to have a Driver's License

Motorcycles are no longer free to ride with a learner's license or in some cases, no license at all.

As of Friday January 24^th 2015, motorcyclist will have to have a license under the newly revamped Road Traffic Act as explained in the article “Motorcyclists Will Require Licence Under New Traffic Laws”, published Sunday January 24, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner.

 

Previously motorcyclists require only a provisional licence as explained in my blog article entitled “NRSC record increase in Motorcycle Deaths - Why Road Traffic Act need to license Motorized Bicycles and Electric Bikes”. 

This recent legislative change in the Road Traffic Act mandates that riders have a drivers' licence. Already some 100 Jamaican Police officers had been deployed on Friday January 24th 2015 to enforce the new Road Traffic Act and the increased fines.

Before motorcyclist reading this cry foul and unfair, consider these stats:

1.      380 people died in road traffic in 2015

2.      65 fatalities among motorcyclists in 2014

3.      111 fatalities among motorcyclists in 2015

4.      Westmoreland and St Elizabeth accounted for the majority of the crashes

In most of these deaths, the cause appeared to be the following:

1.      Motorcyclists not wearing helmets

2.      Collisions with other motor bikes

3.      Rider lost control and crashing

Hopefully, this legislation will be extended to any form of two or four wheeled mode of transportation that looks like a bike, be it gasoline or electric powered, as legislation needs to also tackle the rise of Electric Motorcycles in Jamaica!