One cell phone ticket issued
Police have issued 40 tickets, including just one for driving while using a cell phone, since the new Traffic Law came into force on Friday throughout the Cayman Islands.
According to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, by Monday evening, officers had issued one cell phone ticket, 13 tickets for failing to wear a safety belt and one speeding ticket since Friday. Police issued the single cell phone ticket to a driver in Bodden Town.
Police officers also issued 25 tickets for other traffic offences.
Chief Inspector Angelique Howell said it appeared drivers had taken on board the advice not to use their cell phones while driving.
“A lot of people are adhering to the law and using hands-free devices, which is what we have been educating and encouraging people to do,” Chief Inspector Howell said.
However, she added that not everyone had changed their behaviour and police would continue to be vigilant about drivers using their phones to text or talk while driving.
“We know the dangers that can occur when drivers use their cell phones while driving, it affects their reaction time and increases the likelihood of them causing a collision, so we’ll be staying on this,” she said.
Anyone caught driving a car while using a cell phone without a hands-free device is liable to get a $150 ticket.
The new Traffic Law and is accompanying regulations took effect in the Cayman Islands on Friday, 21 September. New infractions, such as using improper use of a cell phone while driving and “careless” and “inconsiderate” driving, were added to the law and traffic-related fines were increased, with fines that had been $20 increased to $100. Fines that were $25 were increased to $200.
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40 traffic tickets issued since new traffic law?
That’s not a record number of tickets written by police who have an honestly executed quota for even one day yes 24 hours!
If Comm. Baines is serious about RCIP paying its way, and paying for their own helicopter to ease up budget demands, then I’m sure with the many traffic violations that the public is aware of and responsible drivers have to endure amongst other driving maniacs ; the quota should be set at 4,000 tickets per month if you are truly serious about traffic discipline and filling the RCIP coffers.
RCIP can pay for its own helicopter without the aid of outside or other government revenue sources.
Quotas are a stupid idea. Policing the rules effectively is what needs to be done.
Any given day, I see countless ‘gangstas’ and fools without their seatbelts – many more than cell phone users now. They’re easy to spot usually too, they have the battered illegal looking cars, or boy racer cars in many cases.
RCIP shouldn’t have to pay its own way – it is a police force, it should be allocated the resources it needs to do its job.
Quotas are always a stupid idea when politics and laziness, nepotism influences RCIP performance.Like do not disturb me while I’m filling my gut at the local cafe!
Pattieman you are living up to your namesake that is well represented by you.
Likewise Vietnam, you’re living up to your username. Your comments are as if they are from someone from Vietnam, who has never visited Cayman.
4000 tickets a month? 48000 a year? Take away from the official figures how many people are too young to drive, don’t drive anymore, or do not have access to a car, and it seems a tad unrealistic.
I do not doubt there are thousands of infractions every day – but to prosecute them all, you’d need a state more like North Korea than Vietnam.
Pattieman,
If you were paying attention you would realize that
there has been a shift from prosecution of various violations like seat belts etc. To issuance of a ticket that can be paid not warranting prosecution.