There
are only a few days to go until the launch of the RCIPS annual Festive road
safety crackdown – a seven week campaign of enforcement and education designed
to make the roads of the Cayman Islands safer.
The
campaign is also aimed at enforcing the police service’s ‘don’t drink and
drive’ message.
High
visibility patrols, static road checks, unmarked vehicles, radar stops and
targeted operations will all take place throughout the campaign period to
discourage and detect those who drink and drive, or engage in other inconsiderate
or illegal road activities, police said.
A
programme of education will also take place and police officers will deliver
road safety presentations in schools throughout the Islands
in an effort to make young people more aware of how they can stay safe on the
roads while on foot, on a bicycle or travelling in a car.
The
campaign will begin Monday 22.
Inspector
Adrian Barnett of the RCIPS Traffic Management Department is encouraging
everyone to be responsible and realise that their actions have consequences –
consequences which could destroy lives, families and communities.
“The
fact is that drinking and driving and speeding cost lives,” Mr. Barnett said.
“Too many people still take chances with their own safety and the lives of
others on our roads by getting behind the wheel of a car when they are drunk,
using our roads as race tracks or, in many cases, a combination of both.
“Cayman
saw its sixth fatality on the roads since the beginning of 2010, and the fourth
hit and run where drivers made off from the scene leaving badly injured people
behind.”
“The
driving behavior we see day after day in this country needs to be challenged
head-on. If we do not collectively challenge it the death and destruction on
our roads will continue and more families will have to go through the heartache
of burying their loved ones.”
Related Videos
I agree with Inspector Barnett’s sentiments. Many drivers in Cayman show a shocking lack of respect for other road users. Drink driving is a significant part of this and tends to become more common during the lead up to Christmas. So the RCIPS campaign should be supported by the public. I hope the police presence is visible enough to deter people from considering drinking and driving.
When it comes to traffic enforcement, I feel the police tend to focus their efforts on easy wins such as speeding. Catching people breaking speed limits by 5 or 10mph might bring in revenue for the government through speeding fines, but I’m not convinced this is doing much to improve road safety. Excessive and inappropriate speeding is one thing, but when I see officers pointing a speed gun at cars travelling along North Church Street I have to wonder whether this is the best use of police resources.
I would like the police to focus their efforts on other aspects of bad driving. For example:
– Tailgating is very common here and completely unnecessary. It can be intimidating as well as dangerous.
– People do not use indicators when making turns or leaving roundabouts. It’s just common courtesy to let other road users know your intentions by using the indicators.
– People often pull out of side roads cutting in front of traffic on the main road, without waiting for the oncoming driver to show that they are letting them in. Traffic laws define rights of way but these are largely ignored here. This practice can be not only frustrating but also dangerous, especially for new resident or tourist drivers who would not expect it.
I feel the police should be pulling people over for these kind of infractions and issuing warnings. This may go some way to raising driving standards and making Cayman’s roads less dangerous.