Cops record 32 crashes in 10 days
(CNS): The RCIPS’ Stay Alive road safety campaign does not appear to have made any impact on improving driving on the local roads yet or encouraged people to obey the traffic law. In just ten days the police have attended 32 road crashes and have arrested twenty people for drinking and driving and other road offences, from dangerous driving to driving without being qualified. In addition, 23 people have been given a ticketed for using a cell phone behind the wheel, 11 for speeding, 7 for failing to wear a seatbelt and 44 for a variety of other road traffic infringements.
With drivers still not paying due attention, there have also been a number of accidents that have resulted in serious injury, including a young male motor cyclist who was airlifted off island for treatment for injuries he sustained in a crash with a Toyota in Red Bay, and the victim who was hit by a car as worked in a manhole, who is being treated for multiple injuries at the local hospital.
In the face of the continued poor standards of driving and traffic law offences, Inspector Adrian Barnett said the police would continue with the zero tolerance approach to traffic enforcement.
“This campaign is all about raising awareness of the issue of road safety through education and enforcement,” he said. “It’s clear that many people are still not heeding our warnings – they seem to believe that the law does not apply to them.
“Well, 20 people who thought they were above the law have been arrested so far and now face the consequence of court, fines and disqualification. More than 80 other offences were detected and those who were ticketed face the prospect of having a cash shortage this Christmas because of the associated fines. But let’s face it – the people who are hit hardest are those in hospital and their families,” the senior officer added.
“My message to those who continue to drink and drive, speed, drive while being distracted by cell phones, etc, is that they should think about those people before getting behind the wheel. Do not be the person responsible for another family having to go through this heartache and trauma.”
The Stay Alive traditional holiday campaign and clamp down on the road laws continues until after the New Year.
Category: Crime
You can judge a nation on the standard of driving, how animals are treated and the politics.
I guess we are f….d!
I saw one night where our famous RCIP officers were doing a traffic stop in front of the old sleep inn and as my car approached, I saw that one was occupied with another driver and no other officers stoping others cars. So that means in that span of time, ten or more cars could have passed them with expired coupons, man smoking his spiff, no seat belts, people yapping away on their cellphones and of course drivers drinking their juice, and well sauced up. I had to shack my head of this sheer stupidness and their lack of organization. Traffic stop!!?? These jokers cant even closed an blasted umbrella even if it's partially closed. No mean to sound critical of the RCIP, but they need to do better and if they are going to do traffic stops, please be more organized and like what some has suggested, be consistant, and to also change up the traffic stop points. People has gotten so use to their traffic stops by now, they know where they're going to be, what time and even how long the Popo's in going to be at that location. Once those Popo's completes their stop, instead of them continuing at another location, they return to the comfort of their "Donut/Pizza shop" (Police Station) and go to sleep.
If we had proper sidewalks or cycle lanes there'd a be a lot less cars on the road and less fatties behind the wheel.
Fools drive like fools. Half of the islands population are fools. Drive accourdingly.
Accordingly*
These police campaigns have become almost meaningless, as drivers know it'll all be over very soon!
Just enforce the traffic laws consistently all year round!
I will repeat myself again, from last weeks article.. only 20 DUI's, the people getting cuaght must be idiots becuase over the weekend once again there must have been 1000's of drink people on our roads. Now the main reason they are getting such low arrests is that they hold the road blocks in the same place same times all the time!!!! They never have one at 2:35-4:30am, after the clubs close. Sorry to say the RCIPS doesn't know their heads from their A….es
People wil not change beleive me, this is a culture problem, Caymaians will never take a cab, never have a DD an will not allow someone else to drive thier car, becuase it s beneath them ( would say us, but I dont drink and drive),just lie working as a server or bartener…
The only way to stoit is reduce the limit and enforcement.
It is about consistant enforcement – the limit is not the problem. Every night (but especially weekends and holidays) from 9pm-5am there should be a steady and predictible enforcement presence along Seven Mile Beach, GT, and by-pass corridors. Saturdays and Sundays intermittantly from noon. Not just to nab drunks, but to discourage violent muggings, break-ins, machete attacks, cow-coddings, and all manner of anti-social opportunistic behavior. Police need to go out and look for it because it is already propagating out there. Citizens and merchants need to feel assured that if they call the 9-1-1 dispatch line, that an officer will arrive on scene within moments; not an hour or two hence, or the next morning, or why don't you come down to the station and fill out a report on Tuesday. The distain for order effects tourism as well as the quality of life for all law-abiding inhabitants and the RCIPS we are paying for doesn't seem to take the problem or their professional function seriously enough.
Maybe if all police officers adopted this so called zero tollerance policy 24/7 365 days a year things would improve a bit. I've seen vehicles run red lights with a police car sitting at the light with absolutely no action by the police. Most people here also think stop signs are for everyone else. If they put an officer at any given traffic light or intersection with a stop sign they would not be able to write tickets as fast as offences happen. Why not put an officer on foot at all of the intersections that have delays in the mornings and the evenings just to give out tickets to people talking on the phone?
They could slash the accident rate overnight by wheel clamping the buses and taxis.
Maybe the RCIPS could start by setting an example for the citizens by:
1. Not talking on their phones while driving (as I see them doing ALL the time)
2. Not driving carelessly as if they are the only ones on the road.
Just a thought.
I don't think the numbers suprise anyone, having said that I don't know what the answer is. I can guarantee that if I put forward my version of the driving laws in Cayman I will ellicit comments in support and against my view. I'm sure I'm correct by the way!
We can toughen up the driving test as a start, but then what about the other 130 nationailities, the banned drivers, those that aren't qualified to drive, uninsured, unroadworthy, both with and without an inspection – most people know where to buy one, and of course all the bad drivers currently on the roads – massive retesting of everyone?
Do weresign ourselves to having a 6 month crack down and daily roadblocks to weed out all the illegal cars and drivers? Of course making sure to follow all those drivers that do a U turn at the sight of a roadblock.
Do we have a hot line to report cars with illegal tint, licence plates, expired coupons, or is that too Orwellian?
Whatever way you factor it the Police aren't everywhere all the time, there's 400 of them, 3 shifts a day (guessing), that leaves about 125 on duty at any one time covering the financial crimes, marine, detectives, communtity police etc how many are left to sort out driving?
RCIPS' idea of zero tolerance is to release a handful of bumbling constables to detect 80+ driving offences over 10 days and then lament their disappointment in the media?!? Inspector Barnett, that's merely 8 offences per day spread over how many officers and how many manhours in the field?!? Surely this can't be the actual tally? There are >80+ offenses at the Butterfield roundabout PER HOUR, and this is a year round problem that doesn't end on January 5th! What a joke!!
The other day I saw a driver using WB road turning lane as his private lane to overtake a bunch of other cars. He realized then that there was a police car coming the other way and slowed down. I was curious to see what police would do – as anticipated, nothing!
The next day I saw a driver doing an illegal turn right in front of a police car – what happened? Nothing………
The list goes on and on. Sorry to say but we all have been saying for a looooooooong time that that law enforcement on this Island is absolutely SHIT! What do you expect what happens if a blind eye is turned constantly – well, we have the results now. I for one am terrified every morning when I am driving my children to school as there are so many dangerous drivers on the road, weaving in and out of traffic………….
I saw a bush scream up the turning lane on WB road and then move into the oncoming lane to overtake someone turning. The law needs to be made clear that it is illegal to be in the turning lane other than for turning because at the moment the legal status of that lane is unclear.
I reckon "bush" is autocorrect for "bus". Mainly because only buses drive like that.
Witnessed a cruiser northbound from GT, overtaking traffic with sirens and lights, then watched in disgust as Starsky & Hutch pulled casually into Capt Bakery. True story. As a matter of procedure, Officers should be required to log a report every time their lights are turned on or they exceed 50mph.
Only 23 for using their cellphone while driving!!! I count more than that driving into work & more again going home!
It's obvious there is no respect for the law on the island.
how can you have respect for something that does not exist?
Ah yes blame the campaign not the stupid drivers.
It be both.
This holiday season we will see many more terrible road accidents on our 3 islands. Poor drivers who don't know or obey the rules of the road – speeding carelessly in 25 mph zones, illegal cellphone users driving carelessly while shouting into their cells, people who stand on the road as they do their gardening in high traffic areas, drivers whose permits should be pulled because of great age, hearing loss, and inability to remember traffic laws. People who do not give way, but just pull out of their drives, assuming traffic will part for them like the Red Sea. Alcohol greases the skids for most of the car smashes all year round. Perhaps the hard-working police on duty could stop speeding cars, drunk drivers, and liberally use breathalyzers to catch the miscreants this holiday season. Sadly, we know Injuries from traffic accidents change lives and sometimes takes them away in a second. Drive as if your life depends on it. It does.
The only reason police doing this now in December is becuase they haven't reached their quota for the year…
Also I am pretty sure the cops are the ones who really feel like they are above the law…driving around without their car licensed and of course no 4,000 dollar fine or up to one year imprisonment or both were issued to that cop….
Most of the cops don't even know the law
first of all sort out the taxi driver's driving – they are a menace !
And start busting drivers for parking on and next to zebra crossings
Poor driving is nothing but a simple lack of consideration for others…..
@ 8:01 Zebra crossings? would love to witness a Zebra crossing the road here.
It’s about time the RCIPS is doing something about the outrageously poor driving standards on our roads. Keep it up throughout the year and not just over Christmas!
Why do we now refer to drunk driving as drink driving? Apparently this is another import from the UK that we do not need.Please ,can we do away with "drink driving" and stick with "drunk driving" or "driving whilst intoxicated".
It's BBC talk. You have to stick your lips out to get it right. Like French.
I thought that wassticking your tongue out.
A high proportion of drivers in Cayman steer with a single limp wrist or hand draped over the wrong side of the steering wheel, allowing no control whatsoever in an emergency, so I'm surprised there have not been 132 crashes in just 10 days. This driving style has caught on like a virus recently, though no doubt this poseur's style will change for something new in 2014. You see drivers going through the roundabouts, all twisted up in their seats, with the 'steering' arm reaching across to the opposite side of the wheel, showing off their corded triceps, no doubt, as if anyone cares.
For the 20 who thought they were above the law there are 1,000 who will never get caught.