Cops begin Christmas clampdown on drivers
(CNS): The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has announced the start of this year's festive road campaign in an effort to reduce the number of accidents during the holidays and deter people from drinking and driving. Six people have lost their lives on Cayman’s roads this year so far and the police are urging all road users to play their part in ensuring that no other family experiences the tragedy of prematurely burying a loved one. The annual road safety drive named ‘Stay Alive’ begins on Friday 29 November and runs into the New Year until 5 January 2014. Although drinking and driving will be a major focus for police, the campaign is aimed at other traffic offences as well, such as speeding, driving while using a cell phone and failing to wear a seat belt.
The RCIPS said they will be using a combination of education and zero-tolerance enforcement to challenge dangerous driving behaviour, and road checks and high visibility patrols in the vicinity of licensed premises will be commonplace. In addition, targeted operations will take place throughout the campaign period to detect those who drink and drive, commit traffic offences or use the roads for criminal purposes.
“Road safety education and enforcement is a 24 hours a day, seven day a week priority for the RCIPS,” said Superintendent Adrian Seales. “As the festive season fast approaches and people start planning parties and family get-togethers, now is an ideal time to remind people about the need to stay safe on the roads, and not to drink and drive. We urge people to make sure that having a designated driver, booking a cab, or employing a pick-up service such as ‘Home Safe’ is a priority and forms part of their festive planning .
“Unfortunately, too many people still get behind the wheel of their vehicles after drinking, putting their own lives and the lives of innocent road users in danger. It’s time for people to take responsibility for their actions – so join with us to ensure that the festive season is a time for celebration, not a time for mourning.
“We want everyone to have fun, but to do it responsibly.Don’t speed, don’t use your phone whilst driving, remember to buckle up and do not drink and drive," he added.
This year to date, 181 people have been arrested in relation to drinking and driving, 734 speeding tickets have been issued, 1,205 drivers have been ticketed for using their phones behind the wheel and 560 have been caught not wearing seat belts. Police said that almost ten percent of those tickets were issued to drivers because they had children under the age of 14 in their vehicles who were not secured by a seatbelt.
The police have also dealt with 882 collisions so far this year, an average of more than two and ahalf a day, 22 of which resulted in serious injury to those involved and six people were killed.
During last year’s festive safety campaign, which ran from 30 November to 4 January, 33 people were arrested for DUI, 98 ticketed for not wearing seat belts, 54 people were found to be using their cell phones while driving and 137 speeding tickets were issued. In addition, the five week campaign saw 138 road crashes reported.
Police said that weekly updates will be provided throughout the campaign.
Category: Crime
A helpful hint for ourincompetent cops.
Call the restaurants and find out when companies have booked their christmas functions and luncheons. Then just watch the drunks come out and get in their cars. Drunk driving isn't just at night.
Jail drink drivers.
Nice to see the those that like to drive while drunk have mastered the "troll" button.
Why is it that I still see lots of cars with dark tint on their windows and covers over their license plates. There was supposed to be a crack down on this too.
Anyone caught drink driving in Cayman should spend 90 days in jail and add in another 9 months if they are not insured. This might chane behaviours quickly and save lives.
Because the message we are sending is "it is OK to break some laws and not others".
As long as this attitude is allowed to exist we will continue to have a crime problem on these island.
We must start enforcing the " smaller" crimes if we expect the larger one to be respected.
The better reason is that driving while intoxicated kills and maims innocent people. That and the fact that people that do it are anti-social selfish scum.
Good move and wishing all a safe holiday season.
8.50. P.S. Yet another solid handbuilt stone wall was severly damaged this morning, but the car was a write-off. It happened soon after I wrote the above. It's on the left as you leave Savannah, going west. This is becoming a national sport.
I would be very intertersted to hear from the Police if the ban on cell phone use in cars has resulted in a measurable reduction in accidents. From my perspective, more roadside wallsand fences have been damaged these past months than ever before.
I doubt that the cell phone ban has done anything thus far other than give the Govt some extra petty cash.
And to the RCIPS, thanks for the reminder, but we all know not to drink and drive during December, perhaps you could discourage us all by continuing your campaign year-round?
I was being driven home last week by a friend because I was smashed, they were sober, we go through a road block and the officer tells my friend they look drunk and that I should drive the car. I informed him it was the other way round and they said if he continued they would arrest him. So I got in the drivers seat and was waved through. I would have blown a .350.
Only in Cayman.
That sounds like absolute rubbish.
This is absolutely true and has happened to me before!
The evidence in favor of banning cell phone in cars is overwhelming. In fact the evidence that banning the use of handsfree devices would reduce accidents too is overwhelming.
Proof?