The cycling community has given a cautious welcome to new signs urging motorists to leave enough space when passing cyclists, but says that more needs to be done to make the roads safer.
The National Roads Authority (NRA) working under the National Road Safety Committee is to roll out the new signs saying “3 FEET – IT’S THE LAW” across the road network as part of its efforts to tackle road safety.
After the signs receive Cabinet approval and become part of the Cayman Islands Road Code, they will be placed in areas of high cycle traffic for both recreational cycling and people travelling to work, such as South Church Street and major roads.
Sharing the road
Marion Pandohie, NRA’s Transportation Planner, said that the signs were aimed at telling all road users that the roads are a shared space.
“Cyclists are allowed on the road and motorists and cyclists need to work together and share that space, because we have limited space,” said Pandohie. “We need to make sure that our cyclists are safe, motorists are safe and both of them are aware of each other, because they both have a role in keeping themselves safe on the road.”
Daniel Cummings, president of Cayman Cycling, said that while no sign would help in cases such as the fatal crash last Easter Monday which killed physiotherapist Per Undheim, it was a good first step.
“We hope the signs do raise awareness, but it’s still just chipping away at an existing problem that needs more than just signs,” he said.
“Cyclists have, for a long time, been seen as second-class citizens on the road, because, for example, there were very few bike lanes, and now there are more bike lanes and more awareness so some things are getting better.”
“But,” he added, “just two weekends ago, one of our guys got hit by a car which then just sped off, so would a sign help that? Probably not, but it will hopefully help with awareness that it’s not OK to just buzz past a cyclist.”
Added Cummings: “I always say to people, if that was your son on a bike … would you be acting the same way in your car? And of course, the answer would be no.”
Cayman Cycling has also been talking to the NRA about installing other safety measures such as flashing radar-triggered signs which show motorists if there’s a cyclist nearby.
“The new signs are generally placed in high traffic areas which is great, but if a person is on their phone or they’re just distracted, then signs are really not going to do it, whereas maybe a flashing light might catch their attention a bit more,” he said.
Temporary improvement
Since father-of-two Undheim was knocked down and killed while on a morning training ride, Cummings said that motorists were taking more care on the roads.
“You hate that that’s what it took,” he said, “but since then there’s been far fewer incidents. But I think it’s like anything involving human nature, you know? When it’s fresh, people are paying attention to it, and as time goes by you get incidents here and there.”
Cummings said that many cyclists were now putting cameras on their bikes in case of a collision and many already had emergency beacons which send out an alert in case of a crash or a fall.
“We’re grateful to the NRA for taking our advice and it’s getting there,” said Cummings. “It’s not quite there yet, but we’re on our way, which is good.”
Drivers charged
Cummings also welcomed news that two motorists had finally been charged following collisions with cyclists.
RCIPS said that 47-year-old Kent Rankin from North Side who was arrested after a fatal collision involving a cyclist on Frank Sound Road on 28 March, 2023, has now been formally charged with multiple offences including causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while driving whilst disqualified, causing grievous bodily harm and conspiracy to defeat justice.
Daniel McFarline, 23, of East End, was struck and killed in a collision with a Chevrolet on Frank Sound Road near Botanic Road while a fellow cyclist was placed in a critical condition in hospital.
In a separate incident, Katherine Lopez, 24, from West Bay, who was previously arrested in relation to a fatal collision that killed 22-year-old Tara Bahadur on 7 December, 2024 in the vicinity of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway, has since been formally charged with causing death by dangerous driving and driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and causing death.
Community role
Eric Bush, chief officer for the Ministry of Transport and chair of the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC) told the Cayman Compass that he “fully supported” the NRA’s new signage initiative.
“The NRSC will continue to harp on, to pray, to instruct, to educate our community that cyclists are road users too, but we need the community to buy into this.”
He said that he has seen WhatsApp group chats that implied that cyclists were less of a priority than motorists on the road and wanted to change that way of thinking.
“We all have to obey the law, OK?,” he said. “Cayman doesn’t have enough cycle lanes, I accept that. That is something the NRA is working on, but if there is no cycle lane, the cyclist has a position on the road. If they are holding you up, slow down, calm down, take your time and when it’s safe to overtake, do so at the appropriate time and the appropriate distance.
“Just because you’re in a $20,000 truck and somebody is on a $20 bike, [it] doesn’t make your life more valuable than theirs, and you don’t have any more right than they do to be on the road.”
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