Drivers show ‘blatant disregard’ for road safety
(CNS): Two weeks into the festive season clampdown on drunk drivers and other traffic offences, police have already arrested a total of 25 people who were caught behind the wheel either drunk or driving while disqualified or unqualified. Police have also issued hundreds of tickets and attended the scene of dozens of crashes since the 'Stay Alive' campaign started. So far, police have counted 55 traffic accidents that were reported over the two weeks, including ones which resulted in serious injury.
Superintendent Adrian Seales, who is leading the Christmas crackdown on road offences, said he continued to be concerned about motorists’ blatant disregard for their safety and the safety of other road users.
“We pre-warn the public of our continuing efforts in maintaining safety on our roads, but some choose to ignore our warnings and infringe our laws. I am appealing to motorist not to become a statistic because it is just a matter of time before you get caught,” the senior officer stated.
The RCIPS road safety campaign started on 29 November and will run until the 5 January. The goal is to raise awareness of road safety and encouraging drivers to obey the law. While drunk drivers are a key target given the time of year, the police will also be on the lookout for all traffic infringements.
Category: Crime
The police could make their annual ticket quota just by patrolling the stop sign where Academy meets Fairbanks from 4 to 7 every evening. I was walking there one evening and I noticed that none of the 3 cars that went through that intersection during that time stopped at the stop sign. One did a rolling stop and 2 didn't even bother to pretend. This is blatant disregard for the rules of the road and for pedestrian safety, especially considering the number of schools around there, the walking track is there and the field of dreams, which means extra pedestrians and children walking around there too. Disgusting.
The truth is we are all good people but if we are watched we are better. No law can take the place of good habits and manners. Those good habits more prevalent in smaller communities are gonne. Driving ethics are declining (like other things). We do not think of ourselves as "bad people" because we drive drunk, park wrong or use the phone while driving. In fact, I see many decent people doing this. Thing is behavior declines slowly in a permisive way. We let it slide.An eventually things are really FUBAR. Earlier education in good behavior is the key. But that is in the future. To solve the problem now, we need to be watched and punished. A ticket here or there it is not going to change things much. Unless is something that sets a precedent to "scare us all". If we take a strong measure now, even if it sounds too harsh, it will curve the problem quickly and then we will all behave.
Take the driving licenses away from a few people; tow wrongly parked cars away with a stiff penalty fee and then we all may go straight. And if we set the right example our kids will follow.
In my opinion, those who think that because taxis are expensive people drive drunk, sounds the same as if the boss does not pay you enough it is okay to steal. Same mentality.
It would not be so difficult if from tomorrow morning onwards we all decide to do everything as it should be instead of cutting corners.
So let's start by taking a strong stand in the small wrongs people do everyday before they become bigger issues with prison time as a consequence.
Does this mean the Cayman Islands Police (I refuse to put the word Royal in here) will put thier seat belts on during this period?
While in Vancouver earlier this month I heard the report for their provinces Holiday season crackdown on impaired drivers. On December 7th, in the entire province, they caught and charged 5 impaired drivers, and handed out 220 suspensions. But they stopped over 32,000 vehicles across their 97 detachments. Read the article here.
http://surrey.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=342&languageId=1&contentId=32722
Would like to see the breakdown of the Cayman Islands stats further- how many were stopped and checked during that two week period? The rate of drunk driving appears staggering on island.
Cameras don't need pensions, salary or health insurance. Put more up and automatically ticket like in other countries.
Cameras (I assume you mean the speed variety) don't catch drink drivers or make the roads safer. In fact stats from the UK suggest they have been a complete waste of money so many have been shut down.
Not true. Speed cameras have had a significant amd measurable effect on reducing accidents. Don't believe everything you read in the Daily Mail. The reason the cameras have been shut down is to save money.
If what you say is true surely the cameras would be gaining money for the govt. rather than losing it!
As a voter I have to say the arbitrary Jan 5 wrap-up date disgusts me. Can anyone at the RCIPS explain or justify how they think they no longer need to try to appear to do their jobs just 5 days into the New Year? Who in Cabinet will raise their hand to challenge this annual balogna enforcement policy?!?
This week alone, my experience:
People seem to think that because the police are not around they can do as they want. Egocentric idiots. No respect for anyone other than themselves and they are the one who least deserve that respect.
not trying to excuse drink driving but it will happen when there is no public transport and no affordable taxi service…..
especially in theses tough economic times….how many people will risk driving rather than pay $25-$40 for a 5- 10 min taxi cab……
deregulate the taxi industry….these parasites have been ripping tourists and locals off for too long…….
designated driver
Drunk drivers have no friends.
worthless comment………
Now a designated driver over the weekend I did not see one police vehicle or Road block, however I saw at least 100 people driving drunk from one location. Right now in our community no one really cares for others. To be honest things are not going to change.
We are entering what I call the high risk weeks, the closer we get to Christmas there is more chances for a. Fatal accident as the record show every year for the last God know when. Mark my words in the next couple of weeks there will unfortunately be one.
Everyone who drives drunk is a selfish idiot who is risking the lives of others. Given the epidemic proportions of the problem in Cayman, those caught should be sent to Northward for 3 month and lose their licences for at least 2 furhter years. Only this sort of measure will change behaviours.
Why the heck are bars over-serving?
I've seen barteders push booze on people who have had enough and are too impaired to refuse, let alone, drive. Make the bars responsible and you'll see immediate change.
How can you make bars responsible for serving drunks? No one is responsible for anything in Cayman. That is part of the problem.
17:27 If that was same place I think it was RCIPS were called to it by at least three members of the public but they were 'too busy' to attend. The same group of people do this every year and every year RCIPS stays well away because many of those involved are 'connected'.
So people only drive safely when they are afraid of punishment? There got to be other reasons. You can't have a public safety officer on every corner.
Until the government regulates cabs, expect to continue to be 'appalled'. The public are appalled with getting ripped off by cabs in order to get home at night yet no matter how often this solution is recommended nothing comes of it. Im pretty sure somewhere, a politician is involved with a cab company so it isnt a surprise.
But that does not equate to a right to risk good people's lives and health by puttingyour desire to drink on the cheap before their well being. I have never even considered getting behind the wheel with as much as one drink inside me, and no-one has any excuse to do so.
You can blame the taxi fares, your poor performance review, irritating roommate or whatever. The fact remains that setting out for the evening with the ambition to grossly exceed the legal limit while driving, is the height of selfishness and irresponsibility. There is no reasonable excuse to justify or offset that danger you become to yourself and others. Perhaps it will take the inevitable life-altering crash for dumbest in our society to figure out that it can and will happen to them. So sad.
deregulate the taxi industry….. and maintain enforcement of traffic laws…..problem solved.
There's just too many bad drivers. People drive through red lights, drive way too fast in busy traffic, drive too close to one another, use phones whilst driving. Idiots. I don't think drinking is the main problem, it's the bad driving that people do daily, & careless attitudes.
Including the police who don't indicate on roundabouts.
The drivers on this islands are not "bad drivers" if they were there would be a lot more accidents. The problem is the drivers chose not to obey the traffic laws and just make up there own way of driving following no accepted rules from the rest of the civillised world. Unfortunately these muppets do it with children in the car so teaching the next generation that this is the accepted way to drive. It is going to take a very brave and concerned official to tackle this wide spread attitude of "I can do what I want", a few weeks "clampdown" is just not going to do it.
So they are bad drivers drivers. You have totally contradicted yourself. How can they not be bad drivers if they 'chose not to obey the traffic laws and just make up there own way of driving following no accepted rules from the rest of the civillised world' – surely this is almost the very definition of a bad driver!
Simply drive down the raceway in Spotts anytime of the day or night to get an education of the disregard for local traffic laws.
You might as well remove any speed limit along that stretch of road as it is ignored anyway.
All LAWs must be enforced every day. Here in these Islands the RCIPS seem to choose which day(s) and what LAW they are going to enforce. How redicolus,
More Money and increasing man power will not achieve anything, 1 dedicated man willing to do the right thing will achieve more for Law and Order than 10 + men only concerned about their monthly salary.
Thanks to those officers that are dedicated to their job, few are yea.
Be safe, but do your job, Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year.
Ask Baines about the blacked out licence plates and the blacked out windows. Seriously, is this man living on another planet?
This "crackdown" needs to continue for 365 days of the year, not just 38 days, once a year, at Christmas.
The driving habits on this island is atrocious.
What they display is a blatant disregard for the RCIPS.
Why is that? Simple really. For too long RCIPS has been near invisible. And when they do venture forth it is usually some temporary show of doing something.
For the money we spend annually on the RCIPS we deserve a lot better.
A segment of the population is clearly bent on lawlessness. RCIPS has played a part in encouraging their behavior by studiously ignoring it for far too long.
Actually it is a blatant disregard for society as a whole. No respect for others. No concern for anyone except themselves. A very sad indictment on people who live on this little island. This ridiculous "blame the Police" rant actually exposes the failure of certain parts of society who look to blame others instead of actually doing something positive to remedy the situation. The perpetual cries of "I don't want to get involved but someone else must" are beginning to come home to roost.
My “rant” did refer to the segment of the population bent on lawlessness.
But you are right of course. My apologies. RCIPS are perfectly wonderful and excellent value for money.
Our taxes go in part to funding the RCIPS. That’s our part.
In turn RCIPS is charged with enforcing the laws of the land. That’s their part.
What are you calling for? Vigilante action?