Good morning, teachers and students of R. M. Bailey Senior High, esteemed Cabinet Ministers, corporate leaders, educators, and community advocates.
Today, we are here for one reason: to save lives. To protect our future. To honour those we’ve lost by committing to a better, safer tomorrow.
Let me begin with a story. Imagine a young student—someone your age—full of dreams. They ace their exams, laugh and play with friends, plan for college. Then, one reckless decision — a speed limit ignored, a text message glanced at — shatters it all.
A life ends. A family grieves. A community mourns.
This is not hypothetical. Last year, 66 Bahamians lost their lives on our roads. Sixty-six futures erased. And the hardest truth? Young drivers are the most affected. Speed, distraction, and impatience are stealing your peers, your siblings, your friends.
But today, we choose hope over despair. Today, we launch a movement.
The numbers are stark. In 2024, The Bahamas recorded 11,157 road accidents. Of these, 2,234 caused injuries—some life-altering.
Fatalities rose from 51 in 2023 to 66 in 2024.
This year, 15 souls are already gone.
Behind these numbers are faces.
A father who won’t see his daughter graduate.
A sister who never made it home.
A best friend missing from the group chat.
These are not statistics—they are people. And every loss is a wake-up call.
My government is acting. We’ve reintroduced Road Safety Awareness Week. We’ve erected billboards nationwide, published hard-hitting videos, and brought road safety workshops to your schools.
But let me be clear: laws and billboards alone won’t save us. This is a fight that demands all of us.
Here’s where you — the students of R. M. Bailey — come in. Today, we celebrate your brilliance.
To you the students of RM Bailey and young music teacher who composed our road safety jingle and to your fashion design teacher who crafted our mascot: thank you.
Your work is not just art—it’s activism.
This jingle will echo in taxis, banks, and radio stations. It will play at traffic lights and liquor stores. Its beat will remind us: “Watch Da Road!”
And our mascot? It’s more than a character — it’s a symbol of vigilance.
Together, these creations prove that the Orange Economy is not just about culture; it is about change.
To every student here: You are the innovators we need. Next month, we launch a national road safety creative competition for ages 11–16.
Design posters. Write songs. Produce short films. Show us how you would make roads safer. The best ideas will shape our national campaign — because your voice matters.
But as I mentioned, we can’t do this alone. To our corporate partners—Baha Mar Resort Foundation, Think Simple, Sound Crate Group — your support is invaluable. Through the Calvin Morley Safe School Zone Initiative, you are helping build safer pedestrian crossings near schools.
Today, we announce the Road Safety Corporate Influencer Network, inviting more companies to join this mission. Sponsor school zones. Reward safe drivers. Use your platforms to amplify the message.
And to the adults in this room: You set the example. Slow down. Put down the phone. Show our youth that maturity means responsibility.
Students of R. M. Bailey—this is your moment. You are not just the leaders of tomorrow; you are the influencers of today.
When you ride with a friend who’s speeding, speak up. When you see someone texting and driving, call it out. Use social media to share the jingle. Wear the mascot’s image proudly.
Be the generation that says, “It is Enough.”
I want you to think about your legacy.
Years from now, will you look back and say, “I helped save lives”? Or will you regret staying silent?
Shortly, we will celebrate a Junkanoo Rush-Out. R. M. Bailey, today’s performance by your school group isn’t just entertainment—it’s a metaphor.
Junkanoo is chaos turned into harmony. Drums, bells, and dancers moving as one. That’s what we need now: unity.
Parents, talk to your kids. Teachers, weave road safety into your lessons. Companies, fund innovations. Ministers, push policies. And students—hold each other accountable.
As I leave you today, I ask one thing:
Close your eyes.
Picture someone you love.
Now imagine losing them to a preventable crash.
That pain? That’s what we’re fighting to spare every family from.
Let today be the start. When you hear the jingle, let it remind you. When you see the mascot, let it inspire you. And when you’re on the road, let responsibility guide you.
To the R. M. Bailey Junkanoo Group: As you perform, let your rhythm be our rallying cry. Let it echo: “Watch Da Road! Drive Safe to Arrive Alive!”
Together, we can turn tragedy into triumph. Not one more life lost. Not one more dream stolen.
Drive safe.
Speak up.
Arrive alive.
Thank you, and may God bless our Bahamas.