Traffic Law seeks to save officers, drivers time
One change when the Cayman Islands Traffic Law takes effect on 21 September has received little attention, but it will amount to a major shift in police and criminal justice operations.
People cited for not wearing seat belts in a motor vehicle will no longer be required to appear in court.
Right now, those who receive speeding tickets or general parking citations can pay those fines without having to appear before a judge at the George Town court complex. However, no such option is available for people who receive seat belt violations or those ticketed for parking in handicapped spaces.
Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Chief Inspector Angelique Howell said Wednesday that individuals ticketed under the new law for using a hand-held cell phone will also be allowed to pay the fine up front.
“All of those things are now ticketable offences,” Ms Howell said.
Chief Inspector Howell said if those drivers wished to contest any citation for not wearing a seat belt or cell phone driving they may still appear in court on the date provided. However, if they do not appear on the appropriate date a warrant can be issued for their arrest.
From a police perspective, the change with seat belt citations is all about saving staff time, Ms Howell said. “It relates to manpower,” she said. “For us to do a court processing file, it takes a couple of hours of an officer’s time.”
Seat belt violators were originally required to appear before the court as a type of inconvenient reminder about the seriousness of their offences.
The Cayman Islands has averaged about 450 seat belt violations per year since 2009, according to police traffic statistics.
21 September ‘cutoff’
Chief Inspector Howell warned drivers that while the police service would be merely warning drivers spotted talking on their cell phones during the next week or so, there would be no mercy as of next Friday.
“We’ve got to cut it off because, the truth is, we’ve been talking about this since the beginning of last year,” she said.
Warning flyers being passed out by police officers on Wednesday in the Grand Harbour area showed sample copies of a ticket for cell phone driving with a red-letter warning stating “your name could be here” on the first line of the driver’s details.
The citation will carry a $150 fine and is given for using a hand-held cell phone device. Certain hands-free, one-touch cell phone devices may still be used while driving.
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Good move. As a foreigner I’m not altogether conversant with all Cayman Traffic Laws, but common sense dictates that it should not be necessary for seat belt law violators to appear in court for that offense. As the report indicates that currently those receiving speeding tickets or general parking citations can pay their fines without going before a judge.
Obviously, this will certainly free up the courts time to address other important matters.
Why would the Compass choose to print this. Now all the people who we’re on fence about wearing a seatbelt will not wear it. Some stories just don’t need to be printed.
With the current poor driving standards on this island it seems to me that if you love your children you should make sure that they wear a seat belt. A collision at less than 30 mph is enough to send a child flying through the windscreen even when held in the arms of an adult. Education seems to be the key if people are prepared to listen but police should crack down on stupid adults who don’t secure children travelling in their vehicle. Adults have to take their own chances if they are dumb enough not to wear a seat belt.