Clamp down on rogue drivers
CNS): Drivers who don't have insurance, vehicle registration, licenses, road worthiness certificates, or who have obscured license plates or excessive tints are the target of a new island-wide, two week police clamp down on rogue drivers as well as crime suspects who may carrying drugs or guns. With some 30 road accidents every week on Cayman's roads and in excess of twenty five percent of drivers not following the law, in one way or another, the RCIPS says from Monday there will be no more warnings as officers will be issuing tickets on the spot. In partnership with the vehicle licensing department police say the campaign aims to make Cayman's roads a safer place for all drivers.
Launching the campaign with a major road block on Linford Pearson Highway on Friday morning which saw traffic tailing back along Shamrock Road and holding up drivers heading into George Town, Superintendent Adrian Seales said that the police hope to raise awareness about the importance of road safety.
The RCIPS will now be setting up random blocks both day and night at selected locations over the next two weeks in all districts cracking down on those who break the traffic laws and drive unlicensed vehicles. Static road checks, marked cars, unmarked cars and random traffic stops will all form part of the operation, police said. DVDL staff will also be assisting at the scene of checks by carrying out roadside vehicle inspections to uncover any addition traffic offences, the police said warning drivers that vehicles that fail the inspection will immediately be taken off the road.
“An average of 30 road crashes are reported every week in Cayman -for a country of this size that is an outrageous figure,”Superintendent Adrian Seales, from RCIPS Operations, said. “Too many people are being killed and injured through dangerous driving, drink driving and the use of unroadworthy or unlicensed vehicles which are often uninsured.”
Seales also pointed to the second reason for the road block which was to root out local criminals.
“We are all acutely aware that some vehicles in the Cayman Islands are used for criminal activity such as the transportation of drugs and firearms or as getaway cars following criminal incidents. All too often vehicle windows are tinted and license plates are obscured to intentionally hinder police investigations or in an attempt to prevent vehicles being identified in CCTV images.”
Seales said that drivers do not have long to get their vehicles in order. “During the first few days of the crackdown drivers who are stopped will be instructed to remove the tints or license plate covers. If they don’t they will be ticketed,” he said.
“From Monday 30July they will not be given that option. They will immediately be ticketed, there will be no discretion used. However, let’s be clear, if arrestable offences are detected at any time during the crackdown then people will end up in the police cells and their vehicles could be seized.”
Courtney Myles, Assistant Manager, Department of Vehicle and Drivers' Licensing, who estimated that more than a quarter of Cayman's drivers are non-compliant with various laws said obeying traffic regulations was about safety.
“The aim is to continue our working partnership with the RCIPS to ensure road safety and provide tips on how to make our roads safer. The police are primarily responsible for enforcement and we are responsible for regulating the Traffic Law. At the end of the day we all have our role to play and that is why we adopt the motto, “Safe driving is everyone responsibility.” With this multi-agency approach, we want the motoring public to be well informed of safe driving.”
The two agencies hope that together the two week campaign will encourage more drivers to address their compliance will all road traffic legislation.
“There will be some disruption to travel as a result of the checks so we would ask drivers to allow a little more time for their journeys,” Seales added. “We will attempt to keep disruption to an absolute minimum. But would ask the many law abiding motorists to remember that these road checks are all about making the roads of the Cayman Islands safer for them, their families and their communities,” he said.
Category: Crime
shouldn't the police be doing this all year round? Maybe if they weren't giving so many "warnings" to people, the government would be able to generate some more revenue to spend on random crap.
Erm, how about having a place where we can post the liscence plates of vehicles that have blacked out plates / windows? Then the cops can go and check on them and fine the shit out of the owners? I was behind about 6 yesterday alone.
Also, how about we start public floggings for people who sit in their cars at 50mph wearing their seatbelts, whilst their kids are jumping around the front / back seats. Brain dead doesn't even begin to describe those folks. Selfish w*****s.
Oh and spot fine anyone who has their hazard warning lights on when they are towing. That includes the cops who put on all theirpretty flashing lights when towing and distract the hell out of everyione else "ewe look at me in my big police truck towing my big broken boat" PISS OFF!!
Don't even get me started on indicating at roundabouts (and everywhere else) and tailgating.
Have a lovely day Cayman.
Once again, it is pretty galling for the RCIPS to lecture the public about poor driving. They have allowed it to become what it is, by refusing to assemble a permanent interdiction presence. We are out there every day and know it's bad: please shut up, show up (without pompous proclamations) get off your asses and do something about it – and not just for one night every few months!
Can the police do something about the drivers who drive through red lights – the junction at Eastern Avenue would be a good place to start. I reckon you could easily get 20 cars an hour or 140 cars in a 7 hour shift. At $100 per fine would bring in $14,000 !!!!
Should'nt the police be doing this on a daily basis anyway?
Cayman, a land where indicating right at a circle is socially unacceptable.
Why dont police go to the club parking lots and check the cars while they are parked, then get the licence plate details and contact the owners in the future. then they dont have to waste the innocent people who have jobs…
Wow someone is backwards, why would you assume everyone at the CLUB has a job and why would that even be wasting there time when a club is a late night liesure event ? im sure they have more than just an expired coupons to worry about at a night club in the parking lot… how about drunk driving for one
sooo i was told the legal tint limit is 35%,,, i got my windows done with 35% and the machine reader read 34 or 33 and was told it is too dark… I swear its all up to how they feel that day.
VLT limit is 25% plus your windows may already have some factory tint or pot smoke residue which lowers your score.
Fat fingers, should have said 35%
And while you're at it please also prosecute the drivers who frequently do illegal turns onto the Esterly Tibbetts Highway at Lakeside apartments as this has already caused the death of someone!!
you are right but it never caused the death of anyone…
Is there anything in the Gazette as yet about vehicle tints? Some people are telling me that the percentage tint for vehicles is not registered in the Gazette as a Law as yet. Obviously there is no need to be tinting the front and back window shield of any vehicle as that becomes a hazard for motorist and pedestrians. The side glasses shouldn't be a problem so long as you have clear vision out of them. Can they wait to enforce this window tinting after the summer heat, for some reason my air condition takes forever to cool my vehicle, especially with my window tints off, LOL.
I don't think any of the rules they use to pass or fail cars for vehicle inspection are actually written, they just make them up as they go along depending on how they feel that day.
In Finland the government and police came up with a great idea, the penalty they give you for speeding tickets is based upon your income so recently when the head of Nokia was given a speeding ticket, the fine was over 100,000 – a concept definitely worth considering by the government here.
It’s a miracle they plan to go outside, let’s let that soak in for a bit!
That wouldn’t work here, most of the offenders are unemployed.
Is the Bentley owner driving 5mph over the speed limit 4 times as wrong as the pickup truck going twice the speed limit with 5 unbelted humans sitting on the tailgate?
One is speeding, the other is dangerous driving. Different offences.
Is this everyone or just expats?
This really should just be for expats.
Expats will pay an extra 10% fine — "road enhancement fee."
Do the 'rogue drivers' include he police car that side-swiped a pick-up truck while trying to navigatea roundabout Friday afternoon – yesterday?
Was that even reported?
Or the one blatantly tail gating a driver whilst on the phone I saw the other day……
And while you're about it, there are a couple of dump trucks, one of them an older type, blue and white, that blast the neighbourhood every time they pass through Savannah. I 'm behind hurricane-rated double-glazed windows 200 yards from the road. Do my windows have to break and my eardrums perforate before the Police will do anything about it?
Yes. Cayman is the way it was made to be.
Mac's proposed sale of the helicopter seems to have had a positive effect in at least one way.
Suddenly the police are out en-mass showing us how hard they can work when they have to…
All this story has achieved thus far is to tell all those being targeted to stay at home overthe next two weeks, well done RCIPS.
Secondly, why do they have to announce to the country that they are actually going to do their duties and enforce the law? Isn’t this what they are paid for?
13.14 It started with Commissioner Kernohan who liked having 'crackdowns'. Perhaps he was working on a 'crackdown calendar' before he left us, with different targets each month.
It probably had things like Jan: 'Terror on Tints.' Feb: 'Ban Bass Bazookas. Mar: 'Roundabout Rampage. Apr: Indicator Slack Attack. May: Licence Lies. Jun:Target Tailgaters. July: Ban on Blue. Aug: Belt-up or Pay Up. Sept: If They Talk, Make 'em Walk. and so on 'till December, which would have had something about drinking and driving, perhaps DUI = DOA.
The police need to cut starting with those who arn’t producing & I feel if the gov want to save $ stop putting up people in free houses & free cars etc & give them a straight salary! We are ard no position to be giving away free $$ any more!
Good News that the Police is going to clamp down on Rogue Drivers, especially (Honda Civics, Honda Accords and Acura Integras Drivers) they are the mean culprits for dangerous driving, I don't know what they think these Cars are. Also they should pull down and charge those who lower their Car below the VRC (Vehicle Road Clearance) with bigger Rims than what the Car requires. These Cars be bouncing around, and yet these Clowns be driving them at dangerous speeds, totally reckless!!! This is why many Vehicles end up crashing, because they bounce out of control at high speeds.The Police should have this clamp down for one year, not 2 weeks, that is way to short to control these Rogue Drivers.
Plenty of pick up trucks and government vehicles careening around too.
Please catch these hooligans speeding on Esterly Tibbetts bypass. I have not seen the police patrol or catch anyone on their noisy bikes (Rice Rockets) and stupid, loud souped up cars.
There are people in the area jogging, pushing prams, cycling or just out for a stroll. Think of all the money Govt could make towards their financial problems just by being consistent. Not just for 2 weeks a year, but ALL THE TIME!
Put up permanent speed cameras. Apply the law, issue fines or confisacte their vehicles!
While I agree the police should be out more, Esterly TIbbetts is a bypass and is therefore supposed to be a high speed road, well high speed for Cayman standards so it isn't really a place you should be exercising. South Sound is much more appropriate.
So you are in agreement that driving at speeds of 100+ MPH is ok, as it's a "high speed road"?
And an accident at those speeds would be contained to just that road?
Ridiculous agrument.
Two weeks?!?! How about FOREVER?? The RCIP are so out of their league it'd be funny if it wasn't so frightning. Please send in the Crown and stop this mad ride once and for all
Good, but lets clamp down on lousy police driving too. Yes guys you have to use indicators, learn how to use roundabouts and what double yellow lines mean when you are using patrol cars to shop at Grand Harbour!
It was a brilliantly planned operation. Normally when they do road blocks all the drink drivers in the queue simply do a u- turn and go a different way. This one was executed in such a way that no one could escape….I was impressed and didn’t mind the inconvenience at all. God job RCIPS, keep up the good work.
I hope at the same time they are going to target RCIPS officers not wearing seat belts, not giving turn signals, illegally parking so they can pick up lunch, go to the bank or whatever and driving drunk while off duty.
Officers also need to be forcibly reminded that traffic laws apply equally to everybody and that people like their friends, relatives, partners, children and in-laws are not exempt.
RCIPS I'm not knocking your attempts to keep the roads safe but if you want drivers to change bad habits you better start with your own officers because the example they set is not a good one.
Just saw an old land mark house down the road from the Police Station that are being repaired and as the marl road has it, it was hit by a new Police Officer. Was just wondering who the hell is paying for that? Also friday I crossed a Police car with siren on and look like they were taking off to the Clouds like Cayman Airways with some Officers and the way that one of them was friviously laughing all could be seen was his white teeth looks like it was some game another. No wonder they mash so many of our cars.
There is at least one RCIPS car, older type with illegally tinted front windows driving around !
What took so long? I hope the penalties for breaking such laws are confiscation of the vehicle. Maybe this would send a wakeup call to the violators.
again this is something which could easily be privatised to the private sector…..
get a private traffic police force in…. they would make money and the government would make money…… and the police can concentrate on the serious crimes…..
I will tell the RCIP force that they can tell it to the birds because we do not trust them. This is just a ploy to pump in more money to the government. Since when did the police force become cash earner for a government.
Long overdue. I hardly see any police presence on our roads. What I do see, however, are successive examples of drivers who appear to be driving with a complate andutter contempt of the rules of the road. They don't indicate, they weave in and out of lanes, they speed, they tailgate – my question is : how come they aren't frightened of being pulled over for such ridiculous behaviour? How come they feel so "confident" these damn jackasses (sorry for the term, just mad about it all).
"contempt for the rules of the road, don't indicate, weave in and out of lanes, and tailgate. Add being in the wrong lane at roundabouts and you've just described the average police driver, they lead by example !!!
Two week clamp down?
Please so this 365 days a year.
Crap driving costs this country a lot more than the drug trade and makes me personally more unsafe than the threat of drug related break and enter.
Helicopter Retention Tax Lord wha this place coming to??? police involved now!
GOOD! Clamp down on these driving scoundrels and throw the book at them!
Cayman streets is unsafe because of these scallywags. Better late than never!
About time!
Boy are they going to be busy! And with all that money they can buy 2 more helicopters! Hope this isn't just more Caymankind Bushit.
about time too. the amount of police i see blatantly looking at tint and missingnumber plates and doing absolutely nothing is a shame. obviously an order from above. go for it and shame these idiots with number plates in their windows. its an offence. simple, dark tint? great for bank robbers etc. again an offence. every vehicle with illegal grade tint should be stopped and removed on the spot. keep it up i say
Just have regular speed traps and all the rest of the enforcement ideas….REGULAR…being the key word here.
Enough with the warnings and road blocks which do little to nothing to stop or even hinder the main culprits.
I hope the Police will get all of the pieced together junk cars driven by (guess who) will be taken off the roads. They are a nusiance on the roads as well as in communities.
Bad driving has been imported and it is time to get rid of the problem. They stop two abreast to chat on the road, with no regard for the driving public. Where are the police to deal with some of these infractions?
Hear what- Cha man- i going back a me yard and chill!
Of course another joke from the RCIP, a 2 week period of law enforcement.
It looks like Police Officer UK made a traffic stop on Cayman's Government, a bus load of UDP/PPM politicians. Ezzard is on the back seat. The bus is not roadworthy, so there is no lights to see down economy road, not enough gas monies to reach its destination Home, politicians pockets are too heavy so bus is leaning on its right side, the driver's name is Rolston and the Captain is McKeeva Bush. Alden's on reserve in case anything happens to Bush. And you know what's so funny, they are stuck in the desert. They were suppose to borrow gas to take a turn off Dartville drive, but the Police catched up on them. How are you going to make it Home by turning off Dartville when you have little gas? Police Officer order the Captain, "get this bus moving or else!" McKeeva says, "ok." Then a group of tourist were passing by and a lightbulb came on in McKeeva's head. "Come Mark, Dwayne, and Ellio, lets rob these tourists on vacation and take gas from them. Besides economy road is for Cayman bus only. With the gas money we get from them, we should make it to destination home." Police Officer looked at Bush and scratches his head. He is a bit confused. "Am I a Police Officer?" To be continued….
I heard that Mac is working on a plan to only stop and check Ex-Pats and that Lord Dart is to be given a Free Pass for everything.
Dart is a Caymanian ..you dummy! Now what do you expats got against Dart….jealous of his acheivments?
Good, should be a permanent clamp down.
Hey…Senior RCIPS officers..yeah YOU, I'm talking to YOU…yes YOU BAINES and crew…How about instead of TWO WEEKS..you instruct your officers to do this EVERY DAY…after all..that's what they get PAID FOR, right??
good stuff… make sure you get the muppets with the tinted windows and the obscured plates…….
The shouldnt need to be a "clamp own". This is their job!
Is this a sustainable revenue measure?
Only if they can collect the fines from the tickets they write.
Thanks for warning the criminals Royal Cayman Incompetent Police Service.
Maybe next time, you'll realize that discretion in your policing tactics will only help you nab the offenders not hinder it.
XXXXX
Muhahahahaha!
How smart.
Road checks at rush hour.
More Government money being well spent.
**IDEA**
Why not have police cars go through non-residential parking lots and check tags, tints, etc… morning, noon and nightly and ticket accordingly. If a vehicles registration is up, chances are the insurance is too.
Stop inconviencing people on their way to and from work.
Years ago we had intelligent Police who did things like this. They would stand at the junctions / traffic lights and check vehicles as they were stopped, no need for a road block as the vehicles couldn’t go anywhere, or make the road block at Caymana Bay roundabout not along the by-pass.
Start with the Premier's transport vehicle! Also have a look at the police parking lot…..lots of their own personal cars have illegal tint! Get your house in order first!