Pilot speed-camera system in discussion stages

Police leaders and the Ministry of Home Affairs have met to discuss the possible implementation of a static speed-camera system in the Cayman Islands.

The update came during a public meeting on crime when police announced they had prosecuted 1,351 people for speeding in George Town alone since the beginning of the year.

Speeding hotspot Shamrock Road, where 500 tickets were issued, has been pinpointed as a potential location for a pilot programme which would test the effectiveness of the system.

Superintendent Roje Williams, head of RCIPS uniform and special operations, said the stretch between Spotts Beach and the Chrissy Tomlinson roundabout is of particular concern.

“That is where some of the most ridiculous speeds have been recorded and where most of our prosecutions have been,” he said at the Constitution Hall meeting on 13 July.

“So when you look at Shamrock Road, one of the plans that we have is to test the speed system on that, as kind of a pilot run.”

Ultimately, it is the Ministry of Home Affairs that would be responsible for funding and setting up any system – but it has yet to release any official information on the project.

Williams said, from a policing perspective, there would be a lot of infrastructure that would need to be tested before any system went island-wide, “From the time of recorded speed, getting that information to the police, the prosecution, sending out the information.” .

In April, during a press briefing on crime statistics, Police Commissioner Derek Byrne said the RCIPS was looking at speed cameras as part of a national road safety strategy.

He said the benefits of the project “would be immense” but added that there was no timeline yet for its implementation as “it’s a work in progress”.

Rules of the road

Several members of the public brought up concerns about speeding during the meeting, with one saying measures need to be put in place outside Red Bay Primary School.

They said that cars and public buses overtake at speed and “someone is going to get hurt there”.

Others said they were upset by people speeding in residential areas in Savannah and along Shamrock Road.

Williams urged road users, both from Cayman and abroad, to familiarise themselves with the rules of the road and follow them.

“If you’re educated here in terms of driving, you obviously understand the road code and the system here,” he said.

“But if you’re also coming here as a new driver to the country, you [need to] respect the road rules and what the driving within the Cayman Islands is like.”

He said one of the problems on the roads is that there is a mix of driving cultures.

“That is a fact,” he said. “A lot of the times we see, it’s just poor driving from various jurisdictions.

“And yes, our own as well – we’re not going to absolve. But at the end of the day, it’s simply just poor driving practices.”

Last year, 2,915 motor vehicle collisions were reported, 14 of which were fatal and involved the deaths of 15 people.

Throughout the year, 32 others were seriously injured in crashes, many of which involved speeding or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The Compass contacted the Ministry of Home Affairs for further information on the speed-camera system and is awaiting a response.