Cops crack down with operation Christmas cracker
(CNS): The seasonal police road safety initiative codenamed Operation Christmas Cracker begins on Monday, 28 November and has a wider remit this year. Senior RCIPS officers said that last year the disregard by road users for safety during the Christmas holiday period fuelled some of the new safety measures that have now been included in the Traffic Law passed by in the Legislative Assembly last week and expected to come into force by January. The police are also encouraging everyone who drives and has a phone to but a hands free set at the top of the Christmas wish list in preparation for the law’s enforcement. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
“Last year we were so disappointed by the blatant disregard that people showed for safety on our roads that we called for a multi-agency national road safety strategy to be developed,” said Superintendent Adrian Seales.
“Since then the working group has worked closely with Government and we’re pleased to say that many of the recommendations we made to make Cayman’s roads safer have been passed in the new Traffic Law. We’re particularly delighted that the cell phone driving epidemic is being addresses. That’s why we are calling for people to be responsible and use Christmas as an opportunity to give a gift that could save a life this year.”
Outlining the plans for the holiday safety campaign, Seales said that all aspects of safety and security will be addressed.
“People are well used to us launching our festive road safety initiative in November,” he said. “But this year we’re taking a slightly different approach. Road safety will still be pivotal to the campaign, but we will also be looking at personal safety, home and business security and safety at sea.
“It’s a much more rounded campaign where, through our programme of education and enforcement , we hope to reduce the opportunities for criminality and make people much more aware of the role they can play in making the Cayman Islands’ festive season a safe and crime free one for everyone.”
Chief Inspector Angelique Howell, theoperational commander of the initiative said that throughout the five week period safety and security will be actively targeted every day and night. “Each week of the campaign will have a dedicated theme where we will raise awareness of the simple steps people can take to stay safe,” Howell said.
“The first week of the campaign sees road safety at the forefront and we will be out in force getting the safe driving and don’t drink and drive messages out there. High visibility patrols and road checks will be commonplace. These checks not only help us to detect offences, they also give us another opportunity to search for illegal drugs, guns and other weapons.”
Operation Christmas Cracker will run from Monday, 28 November until Wednesday
Category: Crime
Perhaps more focus needs to be on the taxi service here. They are unprofessional and outrageously overpriced – no wonder there are so many drunk drivers! Taxis need to be metered or sufficiently regulated, just like they are in every other country.
I was behind a bus full of tourists yesterday and half had their heads sticking out of the windows, the A/C must be broke I thought, but when I passed the dirty disgusting driver was smoking.
Is their no rules or laws against this? He should be fired.
Seeing this picture reminded me of a question I always wanted to ask.
Who on earth is responsible for cleaning up the road after a car crash? In most other countries I have been to it was the police because they want to keep the roads save for everyone else.
Here it seems that the smashed glass and lights are left in the middle of the intersection for weeks until it is finally washed away by heavy rain or so.
I am not joking – does anyone know who has responsibility for this?
I am sure there is some civil servant sitting in some office, praying that there won't be an accident and if one should occur, sits for another three months before attempting a clean up. Receiving a fantastic salary plus pension without any contribution.
This picture made me think of trying to park in George Town.
Does this include the RCIP?? They can't enforce that law unless they also follow it. I see cars everyday where the officer is on his/her cell phone! When in Rome!!!!!
Last week alone I have seen:
1. A car with seemingly no functioning breaks lights and the driver used the emergency signal instead to signal that he was slowing down
2. 10 dump and cement trucks with license plate so dirty that nobody would have ever had a clue what the license number read (in cases they needed it to call in in regards to dangerous driving etc).
3. 20 dump trucks with dangerous high loads not even attempted to be somewhat covered
4. 30 taxis stopping at the moments notice in the middle of traffic wherever it suited to drop or pick up passengers, endangering others in the process
5. 40 toddlers standing up betweenthe two front seats or babies on the lap of the front passenger
6. 50 cars with extremely dark tinted windows
7. 60 cars tailgating someone else dangerously close (surely less thant the suggested one car length distance)
8. 70 vehicles passed me without their lights on during dusk (or even after dusk)
9. and about a gazillion cars going more than 10mph above the speed limit
All of that and it wasn't even time for the annual Christmas crack-down yet!
"And a Partirdge in a Pear Tree"!
You forgot a few of my favorite things…
Smoked plexiglass license plate covers whose only function is to render the plate unreadable.
Complete lack of indicator usage. (Why don’t we just remove them all together, as the are apparently only decorative.
Drivers who insist on ‘sharing’ their fine musical taste with me at ear-shattering decibels.
Zero concept of how a roundabout functions.
And, of course, my personal no. 1, cars not stopping for pedestrians in the crosswalks.
ha, ha, ha – so where are the cops all year round if they are shocked by the blatant disregard people showed for safety on our roads last year during the crack down????
Perhaps if they would be enforcing the traffic laws and regulations on a regular basis, they would have whopped the public into shape and order and ensure that everyone follows the laws applicable to our roads on a daily basis. Geeeez
“Last year we were so disappointed by the blatant disregard that people showed for safety on our roads that we called for a multi-agency national road safety strategy to be developed,” said Superintendent Adrian Seales.
“Since then the working group has worked closely with Government and we’re pleased to say that many of the recommendations we made to make Cayman’s roads safer have been passed in the new Traffic Law."
How about enforcing the existing Laws first? Overtinted windows, tinted out license plate covers, speeding everywhere, NO use of turn signals at roundabouts, general ignorance of the road rules, the "I don't give a F*** about the law and other road users" attitude by many road users and the list goes on…………….
Start by patrolling the school zones – they'd make a ton of money in fines here! Every morning as I leave my kids' school after 0730, I see numerous vehicles driving way above the required school zone speed of 15 mph. I will sometimes purposely go the long way around the school in order to go through the school zone at the posted speed (only when the lights start flashing at 0730) and drive the 15 mph in order to try and shame people into obeying the limit. I even had one person attempt TO PASS ME IN A POSTED ACTIVE SCHOOL ZONE because I was doing the limit!
This morning I watched at least 2 school buses drive through it around 30-35 mph. That's my number one pet peeve of drivers – speeding through school zones. I found this on the gov't website:
"In addition, motorists are asked to pay attention to the 15 mph speed limits which have been set in dedicated school zones to ensure the safety of youngsters. At certain times of the day, outside schools, warning lights flash indicating to drivers that they need to drive 15 mph or less for short stretches of road ranging from 200 feet to 700 feet in length.
Drivers have been observed putting children at risk by not slowing down during the busy pick-up and drop-off times. Lights have been programmed to flash between 7:30am and 8:45am depending on the school location, and between 2:30pm and 3:30pm in the afternoon."
Please, I ask everyone, slow down and observe the school zone speed limits. In Canada, if you are caught speeding in a school zone, the penalties are as follows:
***What penalties are associated with speeding in a school speed zone?