Pedestrian struck by car
(CNS): A 24-year-old female pedestrian was hit by a passing car on Thursday evening at around 6pm as she walked along the Newlands East West arterial by-pass. The woman, although seriously injured, survived the incident and is currently in hospital. She is believed to have sustained a broken collar bone, a broken arm and head injuries. Police said that a Mazda Atenza apparently lost control and collided with the woman, who was walking on the side of the road. Senior accident investigators attended the scene and an investigation is underway by the Traffic Management Unit. The female driver of the car, who was also aged 24, was uninjured. The incident comes days after senior police officers had warned that accidents on Cayman’s roads were exceptionally high. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
On Tuesday, following the end of Operation Rotate, the police seasonal road safety campaign, Chief Inspector Angelique Howell had stated that she had real concerns about the number of collisions and smashes on Cayman’s roads after almost 300 incidents during the six weeks.
“For a country the size of the Cayman Islands 298 collisions in six weeks is a terrible figure and clearly demonstrates the lack of care and attention paid by many people on our roads," she said. "The RCIPS intends to work closely with our partner agencies to develop a national road safety strategy – as it’s clear that much more needs to be done by all agencies involved in road safety to address this issue.”
Category: Headline News
The car is in the lane because the driver PULLED over!
this time of year 6pm is still pretty light out
Actually, it’s not. I had to have my wedding @ 5pm because sunset was like 5:45pm.
No your wrong I arrived at the scene after 6 and the sun still had not set
Actually so did I and I beg to differ, the sun had already set!
On Thursday last week, sunset was around 6:02.
I’m not sure when your wedding was but Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/10/2011 – 08:28 was correct. This can be verified
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=377
Sunset was @ 6:01pm on that day. This can be verified with our local forcasters. That would make it hard to see the road which would make it easier for something like this to happen. Many years ago, I know someone that hit another vehicle that was parked on the side of the road because the driver was blinded by the sun.
Actually it is since 21 Dec (the shortest day/longest night). Back then it was dark long before I got home from work at 6.30. When I get home at 6.30 now dusk has only just started.
The car is well into the pedestrian lane.
Not just by a little bit -! the WHOLE lane
I travel this road everyday and when dark as well. It is perfect for walking persons and thank you to many who wear reflectors and ligth clothing and flick a flaslight when I pass by and walk towards the incoming trafic. Also if 2 or more file one behind each other when they see lights are coming their way or sometimes even in the day; I was shocked that 2 nights after the accident to suddenly see someone walking with her back to me with dark clothing (it not only startled me but if I could have stopped I would have given her a safety lesson). Common sense prevail here. Many mornings when daylight breaks I make certain that I slow down a little and give space if I have to.Persons wearing ear instruments to listen to their music show be extra vigilant and no one should ever walk with their back to the trafic. I feel for the lady who was hit and hurt and pray that she will make a full recovery. I also feel the driver of the car as this can be very traumatising experience and make you feel guilty for a long time. That road should have some sort of lighting as well as those reflecting bumps(?) as it is very dangerous for a tired driver after a hards days work while driving home at night. It’s very dark.
XXXXX
Wishing a speedy recovery to the innocent party now in hospital – lucky to be alive.
Serious consideration should be given to cell phone / texting ban – with the rate of accidents on Caymans roads its it no wonder insurance rates are so high.
i have walked this road many times, and it has been during day light, i have had to walk pratically in the bush to avoid cars, people just dont pay attention many whom have been on phone, whether talking or sending some sort of message on or truly believe some drivers tend to want to see how close the can get to the pedistrian. someitng has to be done to curb the bad driving on this island.
i wish the young lady a speedy recovery.
Of course the Govt. is too busy spending what little money (borrowed at that) that we have to build fencing and buy large SUVs for the Premier and Deputy Premier and Protocol Office, as well as the many travel expense for same and their entourage.
We nah need no stinkin street lights!….spechly feh PPM roads….we tekin care bisnis!
I run regularly on this stretch of road. I always run in the cycle lane facing the oncoming traffic and i always wear a light. I am amazed at how many times i have had near misses with vehicles that have encroached into the cycle lane. I have seen drivers on phones oblivious to their poor road positioning and have witnessed motorbikes using the cycle lane tobeat the morning traffic.I truly believe that many are ignorant to the fact that they should not cross the solid white line to enter the cycle lane.
It seems to me that the police and road safety agencies in Cayman have a lot of work to do . They could start making an impact by:
Banning cell phone use whilst operating a vehicle.
Making all new residents sit a driving test. Anyone responsible for causing any accident or found to be driving wrecklessly should also resit a driving test.
Start putting points on drivers licences for offences so that there is a longer consequence for bad driving ( 1-2 points = higher insurance premiums and 3 points = loss of licence for a year. )
Insurance companies should make under 25 yr old drivers get own insurance policy . Allowing them to drive on parents policy makes them less accountable and more likely to take risks.
Lead by example. Police need to start using indicators and roundabouts properly.
I wish the victim of this accident a speedy recovery and hope that the incident highlights the need for change to Cayman’s driving habits.
I should have thought that those who drive "wrecklessly" should be allowed to carry on unmolested by the Police. It’s the ones who drive recklesslywho need to be dealt with.
I wonder who thought it would be a good idea to divide a 40mph road with one lane for cars and half a lane for pedestrians/cycles.
arden mclean…. don’t forget about the super slippy roundabouts
The super slippery roundabouts as you call them are in extensive use in the UK where, even though rain is frequent and ice and snow not unheard of, because the majority of the people drive sensibly they (the roundabouts) are no real hazard.
Blame the idiot drivers here, take responsibility, stop blaming the roads for the atrocious driving (or lack ) skills here!!
I am not sure I follow. Do think there should not have been a lane for pedestrians/cyclists? Would that have helped or worsened the situation?
If they are gonna get a lane make a wide enough one that two people can fit in at the same time without one being in the road or very close to the road.
That is why when I walk along side the road, I always tell me kids not to walk on the side of the road where your back is turned to the oncoming traffic. At least walk against the oncoming cars so you will be able to see your enemy! And I always tell me kids when you’re riding your bycicle on the street, ride along with the traffic – not against it! Don’t ride through cars, in the middle of the road, et cetera… But only when you are walking, should you be on the side of the road where you can face the oncoming traffic! And if you have to do so at night, please wear white clothing or something light colored so that you can be easily seen in dark areas.
I must admit, I almost hit a lady along Crewe Road because I honestly did not see her. My car brushed right cross her body. She was wearing dark clothing and this was sometime in the late evening hours.
That road is so dark and bushy. Why do people use it as an exercise route? It is way too dangerous.
I walk along that road every morning and I knew it was just a matter of time. I have never seen a police car in the 7 months that I have been walking. I have had to wave cars off the pedestrian/cycling area countless times. The truth is, drivers don’t care.
It would be hard to pass this into law as the enforcers of the law do the exact same thing!!!
West Bay Road….Seven Mile Shops….was following police suv which was going way over speed limit and weaving.
Get to stop light by Easten Ave. she is talking away on phone and trying to read a paper as she was moving!!!
How is that for setting a fine example!!!
Wow, 298 crashes in 6 weeks. I find that number staggering. I would never have guessed it was that high, but I guess with the things I see people doing on a regular basis, it should come as no surprise.
Glad the RCIPs is going to look into road safety, but standing along the bypasses at the right spot (not one where oncoming cars can see you from miles away) with a speed gun would weed out a lot of those drivers who are constantly racing on the roads. I am not talking driving 45 in a 40 mile zone….I am talking driving 70+ in a 40 mile zone.
Three speeding tickets within a certain time frame and the drivers license is gone for a while (and car insurance premiums for those offenders will go through the roof)!
Taxi and Bus drivers are the worst offenders, they force their way into traffic, overtake using the middle lane on West Bay road, ignore stop signs, jam brakes whenever they see a potantial passenger without checking mirrors, and the one that nearly caused me to rear end one of them ("Twice"), they are now stopping in the left West bound lane on the spotts road to pickup and drop off passengers. thismeans cars coming from the east at 40mph are suddenly being confronted by a bus stopped in and blocking the left lane picking up passengers. At 40 mph most drivers have to swerve into the other lane and risk side swiping other cars. It is impossible to suddenly stop at that point because the traffic behind you cannot see the bus until you are right up on the bumper due to the elevation of certain parts of the road and the way the road curves. Disaster waiting to happen if you ask me!
i have to agree with you on this
police also have to take at the bus stoping to drop passengers off, in the middle of the road by the lil round-about between LIME and DIGCEL, the bus jus stop and offcourse it not a place to stop.
I live at Spotts, I have christened Shammrock Road as the Spoots 500 Speedway! This road is truly scarey. I am sure that some of the worst drivers on this island drive this section of the road. Want excitement in your life, ride a bicycle here! To the poor lady involved in the crash, a full and speedy recovery.
This is so unfortunate……….but something that was going to happen sooner or later. Actually, I am surprised something like this has not happened already on this bypass.
It is a two edged sword.
People on this road drive like idiots! I don’t know how else to put it. They speed, they swerve, motorbikes overtake cars, pulling into the lane that was set out for pedestrians and bicycles.
On the other hand, plenty people who walk, jog or ride their bike on this road do not take the necessary precautions. They wear dark clothes, do not carry a flashlight and often walk next to each other instead of behind each other. People who ride their "race" bikes often do not have any sources of lights either.
Research has shown that wearing reflective clothing is not as effective as thought because when cars are traveling at a higher speed, they are already too close when they observe the reflective clothing. A better option would be to cary a flashlight. There are many light-weight and small flashlights that have a good light beam that can be observed from a good distance away.
I would encourage all walkers/joggers/riders to carry one of those flashlights every time you go out at dusk, even if you think it is not so dark yet.
For those people who are driving or riding a motor bike, please slow down and stop overtaking! There is nowhere that you have to be so urgently that warrants you risking someone else’s life!
From a driver’s point of view a pedestrian’s reflective shoes are highly visible at night. Being low to the road and moving, they are easily picked up by dipped headlights. In the same way, white pants or socks are better than white T-shirts
Some pedestrians dressed in black at night seem to think that because they can see you, you must be able to see them. If you’ve read the ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy,’ you will recognize this misguided belief as being similar to that of the ‘Bugblatter Beast of Kraal’, which was known across the galaxy, according to author Douglas Adams, for being "mindbogglingly stupid."
I was always taught to walk facing oncoming traffic, that way if a car was out of control you would have a chance to see it, versus, walking with traffic you never have a chance.
I see so many pedestrians breaking this common sense rule.
I walk home every night from the gym around sunset into early evening, but consider myself to be vigilant, use common sense and face the traffic on my journey. I see too many people, especially on the dark stretch of road from Grand Old House to Hurley’s with:
Ipod in
Traffic to their backs
Dark coloured clothing
No reflectors or lights
Given that they’re running and less alert due to fatigue, it amazes me that more people don’t get killed on our roads. Yes, there should be more sidewalks but so many pedestrians fail to take even the most basic preventative measures.
Regarding the first post Submitted by C’mon son!
The Police can’t catch bank robbers when they knew the get away car was a black Jeep Cheokee
Walking, running, cycling on these roads is stupid if you value your life. Walking with your back against traffic you may as well play Russian Roulette. Of course it should not be this way but it is. The fact is beyond Tail Chasing the police and the government are never going to implement any meaningful deterrents to make these idiots change thier driving habits. I could mentions a few but why? We all see people every day driving down the road staring at thier blackberry’s. Even if it was made law they can’t enforce it becuase the police themselves are dysfunctional. Face it, people are stupid and it will never change. The Government and the Polics have the iron will of my Dog who got up on the table and ate half the Turkey over Christmas and couldn’t move for 3 days. You need to look out for yourself because no one else will.
I am not about to knock the police as they have a difficult job to do and cannot be everywhere at all times. That said please tell me how any police officer would know if someone was texting, talking on their cell phone or reading their email on their BlackBerry (even if there was a law) due to the fact that many, many cars cannot be seen into because of this blasted dark tint on car windows. It seems to me that even the tint law isn’t enforced. Why would we expect to have a cell phone ban enforced. These dark tinted windows really bug me, try to make eye contact with a driver in an auto entering the road when you are on your bicycle. It’s a scary situation to cross infront of a car driver with out making eye contact as one doesn’t know if they are about to be run down.
To the lady who was run down, a complete speedy recovery.
Whilst I appreciate that the use of cell phones is making the driving in the Cayman Islands worse, it can not blamed for all ignorance on the road.
I for one, am sick and tired of drivers whizzing past me whilst I walk on the road. I have to walk on the road as there are no pavements / sidewalks.
Road users in cayman should have been taught the pedestrian has the right of way. Please feel free to re-read and digest that sentence if you hadn’t learned it previously.
So, lets all make a little New Years Resolution shall we?
When we see a pedestrian on the road instead of driving past them at the same speed as close as we can, why don’t we slow down slightly, check our mirrors to see if anyone is around us and then, slightly move out of the way of the pedestrian so there is no risk of our car touching them and showing a fellow road user some respect.
Actually you should read your own statement again. Pedestrians on the road only have right of way when:
a) They are crossing the road on a designated, marked pedestrian crossing, or
b) They are crossing a side road at a junction and you are turning from a main road into that side road.
c) Obviously if there is a sidewalk.
I do agree that we need the be vigilant of pedestrians however I have many a time seen 2 or 3 people walking down a street with no sidewalks side by side in the middle of the road. This is just stupid and these people should not complain if they do get clipped by a wing mirror or two. Its not hard to walk behind each other.
What an imature posting…….. "shouldn’t complain if they get clipped by a wing mirror or two." Yes the pedestrians are maddening, no question, but you are driving a vehicle weighing in over a ton. This mposter needs to go to the defensive driving school another poster wrote about.
There are no circumstances where you are allowed to run over a pedestrian – they always have the right of way and drivers must always yield to them.
And in those few places where pedestrians do have a sidewalk, please don’t park your cars there and force to have to walk on the roads where it really shouldn’t be necessary!
I took a course in Defensive Driving with a local insurance company. Most of the other participants were oil and quarry truck drivers. During our discussion of pedestrian-right-of-way, the truckers were of the opinion that if a pedestrian didn’t get out of the way, especially if the trucker blew the horn, then the pedestrian was at fault if they were hit. Although the instructor corrected this, the truckers were still skeptical. It was a chilling, yet illuminating lesson.
Pedestrians may have the right of way and I’m all for that, but seriously, if I hit them, I’ll feel bad for hitting them, but at least they’ll feel good for knowing that they have the right of way while they lay dead or maimed!
First of all, I’d like to say that I am glad that this poor girl survived this horrible incident. I hope that she is not seriously injured and pulls through fine.
This road, although, there is a clearly marked path for pedestrians/cyclists it is not ideal for people who use it for walking/exercising after dark as there is no lighting. Also, some vehicle operators tend to ignore the road markings or are distracted while they make their way along this road. I was driving behind an SUV just yesterday and the operator was swerving from side to side wheels passing over the lines on either side. I commented that the person must be on the phone as that is my experience. I also said that I wish that the law be enacted to ban the use of cellphones while driving and that the Government was not going to do anything until someone gets killed.
I make reference to "vehicle operators" instead of "drivers" as it is evident that they are not drivers.
Anyway, sure enough, when I did get alongside the SUV, the operator was happily chatting away without a care in the world. Guaranteed, whenever you see this kind of maneuvers or near misses on the road, the operator is always on the phone. Come on Government, you rushed to pass the seat-belt law which don’t serve to prevent crashes and only helps to preserve the persons life of which he/she has their own control of or to generate revenues for the Courts if you forget to wear them. So, pass this law quickly too. Before someone gets killed as a result there of.
I agree, there is really no lighting on that back-road, and it can become extremely dangerous for persons walking/running at night, who arent wearing some sort of lights, or reflectors on them.
Some street post should have been put in place, the moment the road opened. I avoid using that by pass at night for the same reason.
However, i am glad the young lady has survived, and i hope that something can be done to prevent this from happening to anyone else. More than likely some lights along the roadside, and a law against txt/bbm/calling and driving.
Here’s the problem. It’s happening oh so often on the Cayman roads. People use these roads for walking / running / cycling / mopeds – and the drivers do not care in the slightest.
It will take a death on the road before action is taken against drivers who are unable to drive between two white lines. I am not just talking about the selfish drunk drivers, but more so of those that decide to text whilst driving.
Here are the symptoms:
1. Weaving a little bit in and out as they are steering with their leg of their leg or their ‘other’ hand.
2. Actually going slower than normal as they are trying to negotiate finding the name in an address book or the ‘?’ symbol whilst traffic is moving on.
3. Nearly clipping every cyclist / kurb / or not using indication at all when they drive.
The standard of driving is bad enough on the roads of Cayman. Ask the poor girl that is in hospital now. If it was a vehicle problem, so be it, accidents happen. However, someone will die. Sorry, they will. It will be a text message that is to blame or a phone call. I still remember the time in rush hour when a girl was driving at 40 mph and was fixing her hair with both hands on the way in to work. She had to look good though right?
I implore the Government to immediately ban texting whilst driving if not use of cell phones altogether. Someone will die. I repeat. Someone will die.
yep that should only take the gov about 3 years to introduce such a basic measure….