Traffic smashes continue to put strain on RCIPS

| 14/07/2016 | 13 Comments

Cayman News Service(CNS): An increase in traffic accidents and offences is continuing to put a strain on the police. According to the latest RCIPS statistics, while fatal road collisions fell from six to four in the first half of 2016 compared to the same period last year, they were called out to 551 crashes during the first six months of this year, an increase of 19% over the same period in 2015, and issued tickets to hundreds of errant motorists. Traffic offences rose by 10% and the police issued a total of 2,802 tickets.

Road accidents are putting a major strain on police resources, Deputy Commissioner Kurt Walton said Thursday, during a press briefing where the half-year statistics were released. He said that RCIPS officers are called to almost every crash, including minor fender-benders where no one is injured, either because drivers could not agree on who was at fault or because they want the police to make an official record of the crash for insurance purposes.

Walton said this was one of many things the police do that could be outsourced and private insurance crash investigators could pick up some of the work caused by traffic smashes. He said the police would always attend major accidents where people are hurt or where the accidents were as a result of a traffic offence but they did not need to go out to every prang.

He said there was room for insurance companies to get involved in this work and reduce some of the burden on the police. When officers were at the scene of a minor collision, they weren’t able to get on with the job of fighting crime, he pointed out.

Traffic offences are also sucking up police time, with speeding the main cause of traffic tickets January through June 2016. So far this year, 757 speeding tickets have been given to drivers, a 28% increase over the first six months of 2015. In February alone the police ticketed 205 drivers.

And because people are still not buckling up when they get in the car, 208 people cited for not wearing seat belts, a 14% increase on the first half of last year.

DUI offences fell, however, with just 66 people caught drunk behind the wheel compared to 163 during the same period last year, a 60% drop. Drivers using their phones while driving decreased by 11% and only 41 people, compared to 331 the year before, were ticketed for not having a licence.

See the full traffic statistics here

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Category: Crime, Police

Comments (13)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    There are more infants and children riding around unseat belted, sitting on persons laps, and in the front seat no less. How dumb and inconsiderate can people be. The little ones don’t know any better but come n. You get in a crash and there is no way you are going to hold on to that kid sitting on your lap. They are either going to be thrown against the windshield, thrown out the window, bounced around the car, or the airbag will go off and KILL them. Wake up already. These people need more than a ticket. Take their kids away from them or throw the parents in jail. I know that’s stretching it but ALL lives matter.

  2. Anonymous says:

    I always loved riding the bumper cars at the funfair, but it was quite expensive. Here I can do it all day long, every day, and its free!!, and you also get to aim at the light poles!.

  3. Anonymous says:

    I came here just to experience the thrill of driving in a country where smash up derby goes on every day for real. This is my calling, I hope my permit allows me to continue living my dream and go willing my life is not cut short before I have my fill of this dream.
    I plan to make a reality series from my experience if someone endorses me.

    Any sponsors please

  4. Anonymous says:

    Stand on roundabouts and teach people on the spot how to use them (including the police themselves I might add). Teach lane discipline and enforce a stay on the left (unless overtaking or turning right) rule on dual carriageways. Teach people about safe breaking distances (and incorporate it into the road test) and stop all the tailgating which makes accidents inevitable. Teach people mirror signal manouvre – not manouvre without mirrors or signals as most people do. These actions alone I expect would reduce a substantial amount of accidents on-island.

    • Anonymous says:

      Right on, 3.36! Especially the bit about staying in the left lane except when overtaking or making a right turn. It irritates me greatly having to overtake slow moving traffic in the right lane. It happens all the time.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Speeding is the only thing police like to give tickets for. It time consuming as you have to wait on the speeder. Just drive around busy business areas to catch all parking offences. Walk around parking lots and issue tickets to unlicensed vehicles. Trust me, there is so much easy money for the police to make, all it takes is a bit of ambition. None of them want to do that, as it requires them to get out of their air conditioned vehicles and actually do work. Why are they not certain patrol vehicles dedicated to look for the different traffic infractions? Why are all the police trying to catch speeders?

  6. Anonymous says:

    Silly people. This is a third world country. NO law enforcement “it pisses of the voters”. NO good reason to go out of the way to pay fines or go to court. Face up to the truth already. Its the wild wild west here in the Cayman Islands. Crime pays. The worst that can happen is you get caught and sent back to your room in Northward for a year or so of forced vacation. If your not a criminal and you live here then you are prey and in the way. Be careful and watch your back. No one else will here.

  7. anonymous says:

    Putting a strain? Traffic accidents and offences are ever present. Plan RCIPS workforce accordingly.

  8. Anonymous says:

    The stats quoted indicate 4 tickets per day. That is nowhere near enough!
    Every time I drive to Town I see dozens of infractions…and rarely a Police car.
    And if Police want Insurance Companies to take on some of this then talk to them, and CIG Policy makers.

  9. anonymous says:

    if you did a 10 year comparision for year upon year when the majority of police was caymanian you would.see the difference.

    • Anonymous says:

      So who do you blame?

    • Anonymous says:

      Exaxtly when were Caymanian police in the majority?, this has always been the case in the Fire Service where minimal effort is required most of the time, but the police, which requires a lot more?.

    • Anonymous says:

      Make it easier. Just compare any company that is majority Caymanian against one with expats. See the difference Bobo?

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