Police road checks having desired effect
(CNS) The head of the RCIPS traffic unit has said that the ongoing seasonal road safety campaign appears to be having an impact with less drinks behind the wheels. Although the police have arrested 17 people since the campaign started earlier this as more people are organising designated drivers for their festive events. “I am happy to report that awareness efforts appear to be having some impact,” said Inspector Ian Yearwood, the head of the Traffic Management Unit.
“Officers at road checks have observed more vehicles driven by designated drivers. Inebriated people may be in the car, but fewer of them are behind the wheel,” he added.
The intensified road safety operations will continue until after the New Year. Officers will continue to carry out road checks at numerous locations around the islands throughout the holidays with the intention of detecting drunk driving and preventing accidents, the RCIPS stated.
So far in addition to the 17 drivers netted for being boozed up behind the wheel 35 tickets have also been issued for various traffic infractions. Road checks have also detected other criminal activity and resulted in four drug-related arrests so far. On Thursday night, 15 December, a driver failed to stop for police at a road check on Shamrock Road; officers located the vehicle on Spinnaker Road where the driver was arrested for possession and consumption of ganja and driving under the influence.
Meanwhile the police reminded road users that the National Drug Council will be operating the Purple Ribbon Bus this year help party goers get home safely on New Year’s Eve. “Last year we had no serious accidents on New Year’s Eve,” Yearwood said. “I think this is a success we can attribute at least partially to the Purple Ribbon Bus. We’re glad to see it continue this year.”
During its safety campaign the RCIPS has also partnered with the Cayman Islands Motorcycle Riders Association to produce an anti-drunk driving public service announcement see below:
Category: Local News
One of the other serious safety problems existing in Cayman today is the large number of illegal and young motorcycle riders who routinely ride on the roads illegally, having no insurance coverage for third party damage or injury, no fitness certification, and no paid-up road tax disc. They routinely “ride out” in large numbers on Sundays, often displaying dangerous and stupid manouvers that are absolutely hazardous. Where is this all going to lead?
The root cause of their not being legal is that they are denied insurance coverage. Given the status quo, this is quite understandable. We need to come up with a positive and creative way of solving this problem, and avoid the long term consequences of police action possibly criminalizing them, and affecting their job prospects.
Is it possible that the insurance companies, the R.C.I.P., the D.M.V.L, the C.I.M.R.A. and a Govt. representative, can come together with positive intentions and devise a means of giving these youngsters the opportunity to obtain a form of conditional insurance coverage by undergoing a prescribed training and certification program based on knowledge, practical safety, social responsibility, and compliance? Further, they could be routinely required to show proof to their insurance companies that they have not been ticketed or prosecuted, in order to retain their insurance coverage. Hopefully, it would be possible over time, to wean the majority of these illegal riders away from their bad ways, and into legal conformity. This is a skeletal idea and I am sure much more flesh can be added by way of the “carrot and donkey” principle.
I challenge the Government to see the long term benefits of implementing such a scheme, and get cracking on it before we loose more young lives. I am also very sure that there are many parents who would not only support such a scheme, but would likely sleep better at night as a result. This could, if successful, be further proof that “It takes the village to raise the child”.
It would be remiss of me not to express great appreciation to the R.C.I.P. and it’s mobile police officers, who, on a daily basis, refrain from using high speed pursuit tactics to try to apprehend the offenders. It would not be the safe response to the problem, and neither is criminal prosecution in the long term.
Who is going to take the lead here? We shall see.