3-lane roundabout still challenging drivers
SUV going the wrong way on Camana Bay Roundabout
(CNS): The roundabout at Camana Bay is still proving a challenge for some drivers. This recent picture, which circulated on social media this week, made it quite clear just quite how much some people are struggling to come to terms with the traffic circle. Fortunately, no vehicles collided when this gold SUV went round the wrong way.
CNS contacted the RCIPS for comment and we are still waiting on a response.
Category: Local News
Naturally high, higher than your petty thinking mind son.
I think an advertising campaign needs to go into place to educate people on how to navigate roundabouts. I believe it is the responsibility of the DMV i.e govt to produce ongoing advertisements to the public when new roads, lanes and roundabouts are created.
Continuous reinforcement and education via large page adverts correctly identifying how drivers should navigate the roudabouts WILL help.
Also increased driving tests incorporating tests on such navigation every time your licence is renewed will assist as well. You shouldn’t expect to only do a test once in your lifetime to obtains a drivers licence.
You are right Mr Campbell some of these so called local poilce could write a book on how to drive and talk on 2 cellphones at the same time. Professionalism my A$$ cussing out people at the scene of a crimes and issuing tickets to Caymanians only whilst letting their fellow country men park any how and drive like they do back home. Poor old Cayman paying the price for colonialism
That is because some of these persons here should never had a drivers licence or be behind the wheel of any kind of vehicle including a lawnmower. As for these so called police we have hired from third world jurisdictions and given power to police us they simply need to be deported our jailed for what they are doing to this little island. 100% behind you Mr Campbell and 1:09am you are absolutely correct the Bias and illmannered manner in which they carried out their duty is obscene to say the least. one can only reason it out to a deliberate attempt to destablize this place.
Anyone noticed the tunnel that was flooded? Very unsafe and a danger to the public. Wonder what’s going to happen to the surrounding properties in a storm?
what, what did I just look at? Was this designed by the owner of a body repair shop?
Why can’t we just have street lights and drive in straight lines. These foolish round abouts are wearing the edges of everybody tires out. Half the population don’t know how to use them correctly and I’m dizzy from driving in circles all day.
And costing more gas, because the quickest way to ANY point is straight there. Not inclusive of circles or bends.
Omg! Caymanian drivers shouldn’t be that!…………drivers!!! Do they know what a vehicle indicator is?? Obviously not! It’s a warning people of your intended direction you are going to take. Use it or suffer the consequences. Also when you are waiting to exit to the right and facing incoming traffic please do it when oncoming vehicles are a safe distance from you and not wait until such vehicles are in feet of you causing vehicles to brake severely. Your life would be very short indeed in the UK with driving like this I can assure you. As for the roundabouts? Aw God, don’t let me go there.
Left lane = going left
Middle lane = straight on
Right lane = turn right
Simples!!!
The road code for the (fortunately very few!) roundabouts in the US is; take a gap, give a gap and you NEVER stop completely! If you do you will be run over! That requires courtesy and cooperation, which the UK/Cayman road code totally contradicts. That is the main reason why the US drivers wind up getting hit. They expect the courteous give and take with no stopping!
So the reason US drivers get hit seems to be that you apply US rules to roads governed by UK rules. Whose problem is that?
The roads in Cayman are some of the best in the world. The drivers some of the worst.
Sorry the roundabout by Canama Bay with “the tunnel” is the most ridiculious thing built yet in cayman
It’s obviously not finished!
What are those ‘jet engines’ for?
Taking off like a F-15
It is for to make air movement and keep dangerous gas out tunnel. They are on automatic system.
Won’t the dangerous gas switch keep politicians from moving freely about the island?
When the next tunnel goes up at the Royal Palms how do extra wide and extra high loads pass. ? Along the Camana Bay side road which is not that wide.
Did the CPA ever think of that I wonder. Me thinks not.
I saw a traffic officer (sgt.) pull onto the mini roundabout at the “Foster’s” end of Shedden road in front of a Jeep which was already on the roundabout. The Jeep Had to brake sharply to avoid a collision and I blew my horn to warn that I was also there (as recommended by the Highway Code) the police officer rapidly drove round the round about and pulled the Jeep driver over. I told the officer that he was in the wrong for pulling onto the roundabout in front of the Jeep. The idiot said and I paraphrase “you should read the book it says you must give way to vehicles on the Roundabout” obviously he was to stupid toe read the bit about “coming from the right”
The police are some of the worst traffic offenders!
I have to agree with Campbell, and while we are on this subject please don’t be a Caymanian and get in a road accident with some of these workers who come here with bought driver licenses because its compulsory that they have transportation because of their jobs. The poor Caymanian is going to get the wrong. Of all the bad drivers around special care should be given to the Phillipinos as they create more accidents than babies made.
#EverdayCaymankindRacism.
In the real world this sort of comment is consider a criminal offence.
Why don’t the two of you head back to real world then???? Yes ya rass!!
Easy money.
They should try driving where I come from in the UK. We’ve got four and five lane roundabouts, three-lane merging into slip roads that become four or five lanes. You name it they’ve done it but we cope with it. This is just idiots with driving licences – not a road problem.
solution: traffic camera on roundabout. ticket people who do not indicate or speed through roundabout.
problem solved.
Cameras all over please to stop the boy racers particularly from the Kimpton to West Bay. It is crazy in the morning.
May I request CNS to display a picture of the famous Swindon Magic Roundabout compared to which the Camana Bay one is easy to negotiate.
CNS: Here’s a link to it.
One of those in Cayman would solve all our traffic issues, as half the population would be DEAD within the first week!
I recall there are similar roundabouts in Milton Keynes and High Wycombe. But all three places are quite ghastly, so one has no need to go near them.
Another moronic practice is parking or pulling over at night on the opposite side of the road with headlights on – facing oncoming traffic! I almost made one moron crap his pants when I continued straight towards his car and stopped at the last minute. I pulled up to his door and told him he blinded me, meanwhile he was shaking like a leaf.
There is a reason why cars have two different settings for parking lights and headlights. At night, when pulled over or parked, especially facing oncoming traffic, use PARKING LIGHTS!
It’s assault with a deadly weapon, but I approve.
Cayman roundabout use differs from the UK where you would be in the left or outer lane for your exit regardless of the number of lanes on the exit road. One has to assume that when exiting off the right or inside lane to a two lane exit that any vehicle on the outside lane is also going to exit. That assumption is often wrong! In the event of collision who is to blame?
Cayman roundabouts do not differ from the UK your talking garbage my friend. The laws of roundabouts are very simple. Give way to the right, if your exiting at the first round about exit, signal left before even joining the round about to make people aware, if your going straight ahead at the round about use left or middle lane (which sometimes is the inside lane if roundabout only has two lanes) no signal needed for straight ahead crossing of roundabouts, if you are traveling any ware after the straight ahead exit you must be in the inside lanes, whether it be a 2, 3 lane or 4 lane roundabout and always signal right and then when approaching your exit signal left to let people know your going to exit. It’s not rocket science. The issue in Cayman is that more than half of the driving instructors don’t teach the correct procedure therefore passing on bad habits also a lot of Caribbean drives get their licenses illegally or by paying someone they know who works in licensing. I know im a qualified driving instructor in the UK and Germany.
My other issue is slow drivers on the islands, people don’t realize that driving slow in a 40mph zone is sometimes more dangerous that speeding you are breaking the law by going too slow, in most European countries you get huge fines if you drive below speed limits on motorways especially on the German Autobahn you have to know how to merge correctly, go too slow and you can kill people. Move with the times Cayman please!!
Oh dear, it appears you cannot read. I repeat in the UK you must be in the left or outer lane at your exit. The rules in Cayman are different, you can exit off the right or inner lane. Indications are required in both countries.
Your are not making no sense, the rules are exactly the same. you can exit from any lane on a roundabout as long as you are visible, clearly stating your intentions and indicating correctly, you must be one of the terrible drives on the island. Indicating is important yes but you have to indicate correctly, I’ve seen people here indicate right while approaching the roundabout in the left lane and then getting off straight ahead. Seriously my friend do your research the rules are exactly the same here as the UK. basically you have just showed me that you don’t know how to use a roundabout.
I’m a qualified instructor in the uk, I teach new car drives, motorbikes and also teach HGV/ LGV drivers, i do pass plus exams and I have also taught the police service hazardous and high pursuit maneuvers. Believe me I know what I am talking about
UK and Cayman rules are the same, you can exit a roundabout from either a lane.
The three-day roundabout is actually one of the most clearly marked and easiest roundabouts to navigate.
Definitely a driver’s issue.
Also, most people seem to forget that the car has indicators.
During my morning commute, I can count on one hand the number of people who actually use indicators.
I doubt driving instructors are taking students on the three-day roundabout or new road developments.
I know a few teenagers who recently got their license and depending on their instructor, they completed their driving test in sometimes as little as 10 minutes!
It takes longer to drive from the DMV to Central George Town and back. What were they tested on?
I also think elderly drivers, who are not so familiar with all the changes should be tested regularly.
Youre right, elderly drivers are challenged by the roundabouts, tunnels, bridges and other road changes. No worries, Government has made a special law for seniors and has a seniors policy. That’ll help them negotiate the change. Or not.
As an elderly driver, I will give you a hot tip on how to maneuver a circle. Drive faster than everyone else. No need to check your mirrors. Puts you in control sonny, control.
Straight roads with two lanes also observed to be as challenging as the three lane merry go round! The transition from bicycle, push lawnmower to picnbuy 24.com is the problem.
Making the driving tests (theory and practical) harder and more thorough would raise the standard of driving in Cayman for the long term. Which is whats needed. When I passed my practical exam, my examiner was on the phone for almost the whole duration, which shows how ‘thorough’ the current system is… A lot of people simply don’t know how to use roundabouts properly (a problem that needs a solution for current drivers). I understand that this would bring more issues such as the lack of transportation for those who don’t pass, trying to get to work and more strain on the buss system etc. But that also would open opportunities to improve public transport on island, and make the roads safer. As a Caymanian living and working overseas, it pains me to read so many news articles on serious traffic accidents and fatalities…
When I sat my theory test several years ago, the DVDL employee that was supervising was obviously bored, so made it his business to help those taking the test select the right answers!
11:10 AM, liar liar your pants on fire.
When I took my driving test in the UK in the 40s we had to demonstrate proficiency in using hand signals. I feel this would prove invaluable in negotiating today’s multiple lane roundabouts.
Yes, that’s right and if memory serves correct, in the UK you have to drive manual cars for tests. You can’t use the standard American automatic. So by that clause alone, most drivers here would fail!
As far as I know, in the UK you can pass in an automatic but you are restricted to driving only automatics, whereas a manual test pass means you can drive either. It takes skill and concentration to drive a manual, and I’d wager those who do (or are able) make for better road users. (However, I once drove an early 911 with a clutch pedal so heavy my left thigh ended up twice the size of my right, so I can see the attraction of going automatic!)
these days manual = cheap.
Government need make new law that everybody must take theory test every 3 years, if they fail then they must take driving lesson before get new license.
Goodness, for a minute I thought you were being serious. Good one!
Why make good drivers go through that headache for no reason? Just enforce the traffic laws and start a point system like they do in the UK… If you get so many points on your license you lose it for a period and have to retake exams to get it back.
I think that those at first-sight misleading curving arrows around the dots (representing the roundabout) are really crazy. Whenever those pop up, the first thing you see is the arrow pointing in the wrong way, and if you are not careful, instinctively you might go that way, when the arrow is really indicating to go around the roundabout.
My view is that before those were introduced there should have been some public sensitization — and even then if you are in automatic mode, it could lead you astray — you really do have to be careful in approaching these roundabouts, especially if you don’t travel that way frequently.
I think they will be major challenges for tourists.
I’ve had visitors remark that the arrows are actually really clever and easy to understand, though they came from countries that have roundabouts.
9:24 am: I don’t think the visitors could be speaking about the arrows around the dots. Those are just ridiculous. When you come upon them for the first time what you actually see first are the arrows,not the dots and the arrows are pointing you in the opposite direction to which you should go. They are a menace and I can easily see a tourist becoming uncertain as to what to do.
I see nothing clever about them at all.
Yes, 11:59 pm, agree. That is probably what happened to the driver depicting in the photo going the wrong way.
To complicate things, the Caymana Bay roundabout in question has actually been moved — so it is no longer directly in front of the drivers who arrive at that intersection. So it is no longer intuitive that you have to drive north around the roundabout. You sort of have to know that before hand.
I would wager that the driver going the wrong way was not the first and won’t be the last.
God be with the tourists and us in the high season ahead.
It’s not the roundabout. It’s the terrible drivers we have here and the driving instructors that don’t know how to drive OR USE AN INDICATOR teaching them their terrible driving habits. How the instructors here are still allowed to teach driving is beyond me.
Have to agree. Honestly, DART could not have built a better round-about and lanes to match. Very nice road to drive. All you have to know is HOW to actually drive. Driving means sharing the road, watching out for pedestrians and knowing the road code and following it. If you do not know how to use a round-about or how they work in general, stay away from them please. OH, forgot, we have too many here to avoid!
@ 2:52 I guess you’re one of those drivers being challenged. If you find it so difficult, then used the WB Road. It’s still open in case you haven’t noticed.
Still open until our government give it to
daddy-D
In my view it couldn’t be more simple. The lanes are marked very clear so if you have any idea where you are going it shouldn’t be a problem. Some people can’t drive and they’re the ones being challenged. Kmt
7:10 pm: that is just it — on some of the new interim layouts u don’t really know where you are going. You know where u want to end up, but the first time around, especially nighttime, it is challenging on how to navigate there.
For example, traveling South just before the new tunnel, you have the turn off to Caymana Bay on the left. A sign with the name of the road (Solaris Avenue) is there, but how many of us actually knew the name of that road. We do now that we have figured it out, but why not have a sign that says Caymana Bay?
Also, exiting Caymana Bay at the southern most exit, I think that was from Forum Kane, last night I had to take it very slowly — from Forum Lane the exit road taking you south toward the roundabout is unlit and actually looks like a deadend under construction, with no signs at all.
I know things are in the process of becoming and I really look forward to the safer dual carriage way that will save lives, but can someone who is in charge scout out these issues and put up some proper signs for the unsuspecting motorists?
And let’s not hear from those persons who want to prove their driving prowess by protesting that everything is so obvious and clear cut — it is not at some points and a little attention is needed to ensure motorists’ needs are met in the interim to keep us all safe.
Where is the police traffic officers? I know smoking there electronic cigarettes on shamrock rd. as cars fly by.
Outter lane: Used to take the first exit off the roundabout.
Middle lane: Used as the outter lane would be used in the case of a 2 lane roundabout (no more than half way around a roundabout).
Inner lane: Used to go fully around the roundabout.
People, is it so hard?
The terms outer and inner lane have compelety different meanings in the USA and UK. Google it. RCPS & NRA need a consistent education program, not just a glossy flyer now and again.
Did not know that, but unfortunately we are in the Cayman Islands! 🙂
For some, unfortunately, yes.We so often assume that if we can understand something then others must be able to understand likewise. The lesson : don’t ever underestimate the ability of others to NOT understand what we see as being “obvious”.
You lost me at ” used as the outer lane would be….”. And that’s the problem
That’s not a good sign.
Not only can you not use a roundabout, but you also can not read!
What is the world coming to…
Actually the number of accidents at that location seems to have gone down since the redesign. Maybe drivers being confused is making everyone slow down and proceed with greater caution resulting in fewer collisions.
The thing that I can’t understand is why the outside lane of the new Camana Bay roundabout going north (toward West Bay) ends abruptly instead of turning left onto the mini roundabout by Galleria. That would have left the other two lanes to continue through the Galleria roundabout toward West Bay. A stupid design, if you ask me.
I think it’s safe to say that the design is still being completed, the roads aren’t done yet. Effectively, you should have three lanes for every exit of the new Camana Bay round-about.
That is nothing, I witnessed something today that left me completely shocked. A Smith’s Transport yellow school bus came to a complete stop in the middle of the two lanes of the northbound bypass in front of the Kimpton at around 3:25 pm The bus had all lights flashing and traffic came to a stop. A teenage student came off the bus and proceeded to the center median, where she then had to wait to dodge the southbound traffic to get to Raleigh Quay. Why on earth would a school bus stop on a four lane highway? Why not exit the bypass onto Raleigh Quay? This student was put at great risk and the driver should be fired, this is a time when I wished I had a dashcam to get the bus and driver details.
Perhaps one may want to consider the fact that the particular area you are referring to does not have any measures in place to accommodate pedestrians crossing from the Kimpton hotel or any of the other apartments, etc. in the vicinity. On a daily basis you can witness people trying to cross the lanes to reach the bus stop located on the opposite side of the road from the hotel. This is an issue for those responsible for designing and building the roads, not the driver of the bus (who clearly did the job according to what you’ve stated from my knowledge of the laws by using the flashers). It’s one thing to point out a potentially dangerous situation but to point fingers at someone (the driver) to be fired for something completely out of their control is just unreasonable and not well thought out.
The north bound school bus should have stopped on the left hand lane – where the regular busses stop.
There is no exit from by the pass to Raleigh Quay, except on the Tikki Beach side of the by pass.
If the pupil lives in governors harbour then there is no exit from by pass into Raleigh Quay. Exits go into peninsula avenue and governors harbour roads (quays) are accessed from that road.
You’re assuming it was a student. Maybe it was the drivers girlfriend.
Ha!
Please bear in mind that many drivers on Cayman’s roads are non-Caymanian, many of whom have never driven a car until they reached these shores, with the windfall of earning a decent living in Cayman. There is a reality show about driving is some parts of the world, and the driving observed on that show is terrible – no rules. No question there are drivers here from countries/cities like those featured.
Of course the Caymanian driving inspectors who do the driving tests and pass these drivers are primarily at fault in the first place.
Simply put too many drivers on these roads do not know simple rules of the road, rules of roundabouts and what indicators are for.
If you don’t have a clue how to drive, at least if you indicate to let me now what you intend to do, I can watch out for you!
Go in the Left lane to turn left (1st exit), Right lane to turn right (3rd exit), and middle for straight on (second exit).
Use your indicators when entering and leaving, and always give way to traffic already on the roundabout.
It’s baffling people can get confused when you can describe how to use it in two sentences.
But the C. Bay roundabout caters for going left OR straight on, when approaching from the north. This is fine but it can be difficult to get out of C.Bay as the traffic from the north is going at quite a rate and mostly doesn’t need to pause when they reach the roundabout as drivers can see there is nothing coming from their right. So if you want to go down past the Marquee you have to negotiate getting into that inside lane in what turns out to be a relatively short bit of road, through two other lines of traffic. I know you could use the Britannia exit, but what’s the point of having the Southerly exit if you can’t use it easily?
Or one run-on sentence
Seems fairly straight forward to me. Maybe it’s me that is weird. BTW, I also use my indicators. Now that is really weird.
Yes, I too feel distinctly rather weird using my indicators. Maybe we should form a club called “Road Outlaws” or something, you know, “non-conformist”in nature.. Pretty strange how obeying the traffic laws in Cayman can label you as such, but what the heck, man,I’m game for a bit of the “Easy Rider” scene in my twilight years!
As long as you don’t indicate right when entering the roundabout to go straight over…that one unfortunately made it into one of the ‘how to drive’ books, and I’ve seen driving instructors teaching it. .
Why is it wrong??? Did it tell you that the driver was not taking the first exit?? If you were waiting at that spoke to enter, did it not tell you to stop? As long as the indicator was swapped to the left as the driver approached their exit everyone knew what they were doing.
What happened when the “straight over” exit is actually exit number 3? I see no issue with indicating right until I approach the exit I wish to take. If you hit me it WILL NOT be because did not know what I was doing. If we all indicated ALL the time on roundabouts all drivers would be informed of what each other is doing.
If you signal right you are telling everyone you intend to leave the roundabout at the third exit or any exit that is past straight over. This causes traffic approaching the roundabout from the opposite direction to stop. You can’t make up your own rules for indicating, and we can’t have a ‘Cayman’ version on how to navigate roundabouts. Would you indicate right at a crossroad to tell people you were going straight over?
Sorry, but you can’t make up your own rules of the road. It’s quite simple; you DON’T indicate right when you intend to go straight on – because that’s what the book says. I suppose we could all make it up as we go along – and there would be even more accidents.
One of the problems with the three lane is that when it rains it’s impossible to see the elaborate road markings. This makes it very difficult to navigate in the best of times. Something needs to be done about it quickly. In fact, in some areas of the new by-pass the markings are disappearing completely.
hand yout liecance back in you clearly should not be driving at all.
My liecance is expired. Just like my rejisrashun.
does anybody check their spelling these days?
Or even their punctuation, perhaps? Meanwhile, better put your question to the writers over at the American Compass!
I don’t think the arrows they painted on the lanes help at all- somebody who is not familiar with them and sees them at a glance probably thinks they mean they can turn right in that lane… this roundabout is the worst intersection I have ever seen- it must break records. No idea who designed this but they should resign. That shape alone is beyond dangerous!
It was designed for easy access to all Camana Bay roads. It was not designed for safety or logical traffic flow. Most of what this developer does is self serving and done without any public input.
Make that “all” of what this developer does is self serving and done without any public input. Caymanians, are you all asleep? Wake up before it is too late in addressing this threat.
The challenge is with the number of terrible drivers on the roads, not the number of lanes. Fortunately I have not heard of a single accident there as yet. After the next overpass has been completed, which is sorely needed, there will be restrictions on heights of traffic going north to south.
The problem is NOT the round-a-bout, it is the FAILURE of our Govt. / DMVL to implement a system that ensures driver know the ‘rules of the road’.
This can be easily done by requiring persons renewing their DL to sit a simple ‘knowledge’ test.
Most drivers in Cayman are challenged, it has nothing to do with the roundabout.
i’ve got a brain……it doesn’t challenge me.
Just wait until the American tourists start coming down during high season!
Whheeeeeee !!
Speaking of High Season, you’d have to be high or mentally challenged not to know how to properly negotiate a roundabout. But then again most drivers on Cayman’s roads are naturally just that.