Avoiding Collisions in Barbados

A book providing about avoiding collisions when using the road network in the Caribbean Island of Barbados. Written by two Barbadians - Leon G. Blades and Mark R. Corbin, the book details of some of Leon's experience as a previous police Inspector with the then Royal Barbados Police Force and his experience of crash sites he attended and anecdotes of his encounters with road users, pointing out the lessons he learnt from them.

A practical book with tips on defensive driving, commentary driving, and avoiding undesirable behavior like drinking alcohol and driving. "Avoiding Collisions in Barbados" is effectively asking their readers to think about the road environment and the decisions taken when they get behind the wheel of a vehicle. You will be well equipped with knowledge to respond to various hazards encountered when driving in Barbados. The book covers a wide range of road safety topics in a wide variety of circumstances, easily understood by the readers. It is highly recommended to all readers, including learner or student drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, small, medium, and large vehicle drivers, PSV drivers, and all operators of any kind of vehicle. It is specifically aimed of users of the road network in Barbados but could be applied in any jurisdiction across the Caribbean.

Leon G. Blades is a retired police officer who spent most of his forty-five years as a public servant to the people of Barbados, working in the Traffic Branch. He is married to Marcia Blades, a retired secondary school teacher. In 1995, he was awarded the Barbados Service Medal, and in 2000 and 2003 respectively, he achieved a Certificate in Public Administration and a Certificate in Management, both from the University of West Indies. He is the holder of the Queen's Jubilee Medal issued in October 2013, and in December 2021, Leon was appointed a Justice of Peace. During his service, he worked as a motorcyclist and rose from the rank of constable to an Officer. In 1988, he attended the second Overseas Traffic Officer's Course in Devizes, Wiltshire, England. This training course dealt with every facet of traffic/road policing, including Collision Investigation, Road Safety, and Driver Training. On returning home, he continued to work in the Traffic Branch and was a presenter of a program on Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation Television called, So You Think You Know How to Drive? Additionally, he assisted in designing and delivering Driver Training courses for serving police officers as a prerequisite for driving police vehicles. He has also written several articles on road safety which were published in both daily newspapers. In his role, he represented the Police at the then monthly Traffic Management meetings with the Ministry of Transport and Works. Additionally, he featured prominently in the planning of all major projects including policing the Cricket World Cup 2007. Leon Blades was the investigator in the 2007 fatal collision along Joe's River Road, St. Joseph, in which six persons lost their lives in a tour coach. In terms of fatalities, this collision is second only to the one which occurred in Barbados on August 22nd, 1945, at Lancaster Road St. James. Leon has also participated in several panel discussions on radio and television on traffic matters. He has previously written a short document on Defensive Driving. In addition, he managed a mass casualty on 15th March 2012, at Pinder's Bottom, St. George, after a driver of a minibus carrying thirty passengers lost control because of oil from a nearby oil field that covered the roadway. The bus overturned and the road was impassable for over five hours. Several passengers were assessed at the scene while others were taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment. During the pilot project of the National Shut Down exercise that was conceptualized in case of a tsunami, Leon Blades was the lead officer for one of the routes. There were three routes carrying traffic from Bridgetown – Spring Garden Highway: Highway Five, Highway Three, and Highway Seven. More recently, since retirement, he has delivered training seminars for the Barbados Water Authority, Ministry of Transport and Works heavy-duty drivers, new and existing officers at the Barbados Licensing Authority, and the Barbados Fire Service on Defensive Driving. He also wrote a Children's Highway Code in 2022, with a view to educating future road users about the correct way to use the road in order to be safe.