Police see almost 10 smashes per day

| 28/12/2017 | 60 Comments

(CNS): Police have been called out to 251 collisions of varying degrees of severity, arrested 42 drunk drivers and issued 73 tickets for traffic offences since the beginning of December. The RCIPS highlighted the “reprehensible” behaviour of some road users after they arrested, this week alone, another nine drivers for DUI and two more for driving while impaired, including one driver who police found passed out in his vehicle. The number of crashes police have attended this month averaged almost ten each day, the worst December on record. 

Singling out two of the most recent collisions, police said that at 3am this morning (28 December) the driver of a grey Infiniti traveling east on Crewe Road near Desmond Drive lost control of the car and collided into a clothing store, swiping several parked cars and poles. The 22-year-old driver was not injured but the smash caused substantial damage to property and as well as to the vehicle.  He was arrested on suspicion of DUI and was found to have a blood alcohol content of .144%.

On Christmas Day, just past 11:00pm, officers on patrol spotted a male driver and his female passenger in an altercation while he was driving the car. The police officers pulled the car over and during a search they recovered a quantity of ganja from the 23-year-old George Town man and a drug utensil from the car. He was arrested on suspicion of possession and consumption of ganja, as well as DUI after a breath test revealed a blood alcohol content of .252%. Three children were also in the car during the incident, police noted.

“In the course of our operations we are seeing both responsible and reprehensible behaviour,” said Acting Chief Inspector Everton Spence, who oversees the Traffic and Roads Policing Unit. “We are seeing designated drivers and people taking advantage of alternate transportation so they do not drive home intoxicated after holiday parties and outings. But we are also seeing people behind the wheel who are so clearly impaired there is no excuse for them or those around them to allow them to drive.”

The police are appealing to everyone to do their part this New Year’s weekend to prevent tragedies on the roads. “Don’t drink and drive; but beyond that, don’t allow those around you to drink and drive,” CI Spence added.

With the New Year’s Eve weekend still to come, the RCIPS is partnering with several other sponsors and organizations to support the National Drug Council’s Purple Ribbon Bus, which will be providing a free bus service throughout the celebrations, from 9pm to 4am island-wide.  Police are urging all members of the public who are planning to be out on New Year’s Eve to take advantage of this free transport.

See the bus schedule for the evening

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Comments (60)

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  1. Naya Boy says:

    Easier solution JJ is to stop this work permit farce and stop this mass migration foolishness bout 100,000 people which is absolute rubbish.Its time Cayman start to limit the amount of people coming to our shores putting a strain on our infrastructure and environment. In fact we should start removing all political leaders who are clearly not acting in the best interest of Cayman. I suspect though we might not have that ability or means any longer in our hands.

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  2. Anonymous says:

    I have just left Cayman after working there for 7 years and I am pleased I did because everytime I got in my car I feared for my life. There are complete nutters on the roads that kill innocent people on a yearly basis. Its disgusting. Cayman is going to hell in a hand basket fast!

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  3. Anonymous says:

    WAKE UP, problem is are driving on the WRONG side of the road. Drive on the right and things will get better.

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  4. Anonymous says:

    Introduce a points system …two ofences and you loose your license for one year and watch this abuse reduce.

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  5. Kool Han Luke says:

    Cryin Shame we have got so much traffic on this little island. No end in site either police complaining now too about it.

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  6. JJ Krossman says:

    Its time the Cayman islands Government take direct and positive steps to resolve this problem before it becomes a serious crisis. Start limiting the amount of vehicles being imported by foreign nationals also start restricting foreign nationals from getting driver licenses an owning vehicles before it becomes a real Caymanian problem. Where we like everything else here in Cayman is put out of reach for local people. It is also clear that an infrastructure fee needs to be charged to all who come here to live for the upkeep of the roads too. Driving is not a right it s a privilege. I will listen to all the whiners and haters now cry foul and call names. You have to PAY$$ too play for paradise???

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  7. Anonymous says:

    I don’t think speed is the problem. I followed an infinity suv from westbay to alt yesterday with kids climbing around inside, the driver wandered in and out of lane the whole way and obliviously nearly crashed on every single roundabout. There’s no way this person has sat a genuine driving test.

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    • Anonymous says:

      We allow people who come from third world countries, that have poor driving standards, to come here and obtain a Cayman license; without doing the driving test.

      What do we expect?!

      Go to our Caribbean neighbors, and see the aggressive driving, don’t want to wait in line attitude that is displayed. Coming here doesn’t change old driving habits.

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    • Anonymous says:

      In the Brac everyone that goes to get for their Vehicles license are asked no questions or writen test, they are just handed out their licenses and most of them can’t drive, do not know the road rules etc, its a crying shame that they are giving car licenses. If the Brac had the traffic on the roads like Grand, it would be 10 times more accidents than Grand in the Brac.

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      • Anonymous says:

        clearly you have no idea what you are talking about, unless of course this was meant to be a joke, in that case your comment is extremely humorous!

  8. Anonymous says:

    Ok so my question is – where those tickets given after they were called out to the crashes, or were those tickets given during pro-active policing (ie on the road enforcing traffic laws).

    Issue is that I have yet to see police (or automated speed traps) placed in strategic locations to enforce traffic laws. Instead, on my way to North Side, I once again passed BT police station with three police vehicles parked outside. Why????

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  9. Anonymous says:

    Where are the police???? I have not seen them in action on the roads anywhere between Savannah and GT for weeks.

    Also, why are there so many cars without license plates. Look at all the gardening companies alone who own trailers with no license plates. Pro Plus and Oak something are two I just saw this morning again. Why can the general public see these things but police can’t?

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  10. Anonymous says:

    What I have observed is you have some of the nicest drivers and some of the worst drivers I have ever seen. The worst are the ones that have to see how fast they can drive and how many vehicles they can pass

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  11. Anonymous says:

    And those numbers are only the ones that are “caught” imagine the TRUE numbers…horrifying…

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  12. Anonymous says:

    Average speed cameras in problem areas would work

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    • Anonymous says:

      Got no argument with that but to make something like SPECS work you need ANPR so the vehicle registration system has to be up to date and tamper proof – trust me it’s neither.

    • Anonymous says:

      Horrible idea. Firstly only the law abiding with cars registered in their name get caught. Secondly does nothing to improve the idiots ability to use roundabouts or stop anyone using the middle lane for overtaking. Lastly making people who can barely drive in the first place stare at their speedo above all else will not improve their driving. Then there’s the small matter of actually sending anyone a fine in the post!

  13. Anonymous says:

    Pull Tourists over, too. They know they can drink and drive and speed because they are untouchable?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Yeah, blame the tourists and not the locals who have no respect for law enforcement. It’s the locals who curse out the police and in some cases attack them physically. It’s the locals with, ” do you know who I am ? ” or ” I bon here – you no tell me nuttin “

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    • Hustle simmons says:

      Is that a question?

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    • Anonymous says:

      I hope you’re not a Caymanian, 7:00pm. Because as a 10 generational Caymanian, your statement is the most ignorant ever stated on this forum.

  14. Anonymous says:

    I just had an interaction with one such jerk cutting me off so he could pass me. The rudeness of drivers is totally different than before.

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  15. nauticalone says:

    Think also: CIG has now made it legal to buy alcohol at gas stations, many of which are open 24/7 365 days a year, whilst also holding fast to the archaic Sunday Trading Law – which prohibits music and dancing. Which is more dangerous? Think about it!

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    • Anonymous says:

      kevin bacon would say music and dancing. I will keep it simple for you. Buying alcohol on sunday is not going to increase drinking and driving. Because bars are open on sunday. And guess what?! You can buy alcohol there too! So please, stop the idiotic fear mongering. Next your going to say opening liquor sales on sunday will encourage kids to drink. Think of the children! *rolls eyes heavily

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    • Anonymous says:

      In many countries you can buy alcohol in grocery stores which are also open 24/7 but drunk driving laws are actively enforced so it’s not a problem because people are actually worried about getting caught which is not likely the case with the majority of people who do it here as the police only ever seem to crack down in the few weeks before Christmas.

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      • nauticalone says:

        I think alcohol sales in grocery stores is more preferable to gas stations. Grocery stores close at some point – hint: when someone is buying alcohol at 3 – 4 am it’s a good chance he /she may have a problem!

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        • Anonymous says:

          In many countries they are 24/7 and also cater to people that don’t work the standard 9-5 Mon-Fri job.

      • nauticalone says:

        I do however agree wholeheartedly that traffic law enforcement is lacking terribly!

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  16. Anonymous says:

    LOL – 73 tickets since beginning of December, that is on average 4!!!!! tickets per day. It should be close to 20-30 tickets per day. You can sit at any roundabout in Cayman and issue a ticket every 30 seconds. Get on it.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Sit at the exit of Royal Palms on Sundays. DUI arrests would be phenominal.

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      • Hustle simmons says:

        They do sit there, and as long as you pass your drink to the next person and you look like a white banker, the cops just let you cruise right by, without even rolling down the window of the vehicle. As long as your stickers are up to date and you don’t wrap a pole, you can drink and drive for decades without getting caught.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Dat too much paperwork mon?

  17. Its like the wild wild west on the west bay bypass road both coming and going.Having said that please everyone out there drive with common sense and PLEASE be extra careful on New Years eve and beyond God bless all Happy 2018

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  18. Anonymous says:

    Good work RCIPS. The Traffic Dept. Was always the busiest in the Force and their work has escalated over the years. The general public do not realise when they criticise these officers how busy they are and how much paperwork is involved for each accident. It’s extremely time consuming and no room for error in order to secure a conviction.
    The amount of accidents and traffic violations on this island is astronomical!! You’ll never have enough Officers to eradicate the DUI offenders. This Government is the only body that can pass the law of vehicle confiscation on arrest and conviction of these offenders. This should be of great concern and serious consideration of passing this law.

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    • Blackstanisghan says:

      Your a real idiot more Laws just what we need another mindless technocrat that thinks its funny until it happens to him. The reason this out of control is because this government pulled the hinges off the immigration door as a poster so accurately put it. Then those same fools you praising shut the traffic department down following some foreigners idiotic whim about how to police these islands. who then rather slowly came to his senses after traffic situation became a real problem after his lackey tragically lost a love one in and terribly accident.

  19. nauticalone says:

    This is precisely what one must expect after so many years of no consistent traffic law enforcement.

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  20. Anonymous says:

    Even seemingly sober drivers are a hazard drifting out of their lane whilst on roundabouts. Just by getting in your car for a 2 minute trip you’re taking your life into the hands of idiot drivers. Sober or drunk it doesn’t matter any more.

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  21. Anonymous says:

    allow uber in the country and you will see those driving offenses go down. Or force meters in the taxi’s.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Considering Uber’s long track record of illegal practices, shoddy background checks, and general disinterest in whether their drivers are competent or not I don’t think they’re going to make things any better.

      What we need is a strictly regulated taxi industry with a high bar to entry like the London black cabs.

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  22. Anonymous says:

    So pretty much the same as any other month.

  23. Anonymous says:

    Still safer than risking your life in one of those public buses.

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  24. Anonymous says:

    more and more IDIOT drivers on the road now that’s why

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    • Anonymous says:

      hell, even the police do not appear to bother to indicate any more. Laws are just suggestions, even it seems to those obliged to enforce them.

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    • Anonymous says:

      These are the same “Idiot drivers” that have always been on the road, perhaps you can point to the magical (and nonexistent) influx of new inexperienced drivers?

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