Speed and drunks cause crashes
(CNS): Police Inspector Dwayne Jones, who is in charge of the Traffic and Road Policing Unit, has pointed to speeding and people getting behind the wheel drunk as the main causes of the significant number of crashes in Cayman. With six people having been killed on local roads so far this year and several critically injured, Jones implored people to practice responsible driving and warned that traffic cops would be increasing their patrols.
According to statistics recently released by the RCIPS under the Freedom of Information Law, 88 pedestrians and cyclists have been hit by cars so far this year. Police officers are also dealing with dozens of minor as well as major vehicle smashes every week. This weekend alone there were several crashes all over Grand Cayman, including one major crash in Bodden Town, where a person involved was arrested for being drunk and another is in hospital in critical condition.
According to RCIPS statistics, there were a total of 2,353 collisions on Cayman’s roads in 2018, an average of 45 per week, and it appears that this year is likely to be just as bad.
Inspector Jones said that while every motor vehicle collision is different, the most serious cases involved liquor and speed.
“I can unequivocally say that in most cases where there have been fatal collisions or those involving serious injuries, especially at night, driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding and distracted driving, such as using a mobile phone while driving, have been contributing factors,” he told CNS. “One of these factors is dangerous in and of itself, but a combination of any of these may be extremely lethal.”
With the excessive number of crashes on Cayman’s roads, it is inevitable that some will be fatal, but the number of serious injuries and fatalities is very high, given that in many cases the cars involved are modern vehicles with significant safety features.
Although it is apparent at many crash scenes that the victims have hit windshields or have been thrown from cars, the police made no comment in response to questions from CNS about the consequences of not wearing seat belts.
Last year 189 people were fined for not wearing seat-belts, 2,128 were caught speeding, 613 were fined for using their phones while driving and 328 were arrested for DUI.
Given these figures, Inspector Jones implored drivers to take more care and warned that traffic police officers would be on the lookout for poor driving over the coming weeks. He also noted forthcoming education and awareness campaigns.
“We will continue to make strides in encouraging good driving behaviour through campaigns, education and enforcement,” he said. “In an effort to alleviate future road collisions and severe or fatal injuries, there will also be an increase in patrolling during peak hours at night and early morning.”
But the senior officer said the “ultimate responsibility in preventing the tragedies” was in the hands of the individual road users, as he encouraged everyone to do their part to make the roads safer.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
It would be interesting to know how many Police are on shift during the high risk hours over the weekend vs 9-5 during the week. I can’t recall the last time I saw a Police car out on a Friday night.
Exactly the same number of Police are on duty 6.55am on the weekends as in the week unless there’s something special going on. We all work 5 days a week just like you, but different shifts. We all have to work in turn weekends too.
I certainly do not work 5 days a week, and my shifts are 12 hours long. I also have to work on holidays and weekends. That is a norm for senior positions in the private sector.
Sounds rough
Then why don’t we see you?
I saw one patrolling down South Church St around 6.00am a couple of days ago.Too early for traffic problems and too late for burglars, but just right for sitting back and relaxing and maybe stopping at Burger King for coffee.
The dangerous driving remains the greatest issue country wide! yet the dagerous driving behaviour seems acceptable to most traffic “authorities”, particularly in the Gauteng area. The time is soon to be when law abiding motorists may have to “take the law into thier own hands”. Yes< this could have far reaching consequences, But as both the current government are powerless, we will be left with little choice!
Speed and drinking? Could never be. It’s that darn ganja the kids are smoking.
If the police started simple checks during rush hour, the unlicensed and unroadworthy could be removed from the streets. Also excessive speeding and dwi need to be criminal charges
Agree with checks, but doesn’t need to be rush hour.
There are a lot of people on our roads that can’t even drive sober. I wish the cops would pull people over and explain how to use a roundabout or a two-lane road.
The drinking a driving is never going to stop until we have a proper taxi service
saw a guy trying to reverse on the camana roundabout during rush hour this morning as he missed his exit.
Just utter stupidity
It is a fate worse than a fate worse than death.
Ze humiliation vill be unbearable!
Caymanian leadership is not up to the challenge. No functional law enforcement. Local culture of growing up with no self respect so no respect for anyone or anything. This is Caymanian. It is Cayman islands reputation. It is the cost of living and doing business here. Complain all you want but nothing will ever change the way things are here. Drive like half of the drivers on the road are incompetent and pray you are not todays road kill.
Affordable and dependable taxis and public buses would be a start to tackle this since all we hear is lip service from the police farce.
Listen up people, if the cops can’t even find their indicator then why would they start enforcing even the simplest of laws. Everyone should call 911 when they see speeding cars, I do every time. FYI- if you call the traffic department they won’t send out a message to all road patrols they tell you to call 911. Useless laziness we’ve come to know.
Maybe we go back and dismantle the traffic department and use that money to fund salaries for 20 buses day and night. The traffic popos can drive us around and then they would actually be doing work.
So, the Police gets blamed for everything and not the perpetrators!
So you think that they’re not unforeseen traffic laws for the last 10 years has nothing to do with it they don’t even enforce them now even though they keep issuing statements. Get a grip with reality they’re not doing anything but wasting money. I blame taxis and the police for this problem we have on our roads.
Can you not read what the poster wrote?
The police have failed to enforce the law for so long that breaking the law has become a cultural norm. Of course we can blame them. We have paid them and relied on them to enforce the law, and they do not.
Traffic enforcement is lax. Driving is bad… how many cars on the road that don’t have insurance right now?
I still see people with the old orange plates. Surely they would have had to upgrade by now if the car was registered.
A bit more attention to driving and road laws is a good thing.
Take up the plates issue with the DVDL. I have orange parts, despite requesting the new plates over 18 months ago.
Well orange you glad you got parts at all..?
Waiting almost two years for my new plates
You call the police every time you see someone speeding? LOL.
Yup, when it’s obviously excessive and putting my family in danger.
11:21 That’s exactly what they do in New Zealand.
Mi nah sell out mi fren dem
They tell you to call 911 because that’s how units are dispatched. Period.
For years the traffic department has been chronically underfunded. Blame the administration, not the unit.
Bullshit. It does not take funding to address illegal tint in your own carpark, or use indicators when driving!
Have you noticed the near absolute disdain the law abiding public has for the police. That has been earned, and is sadly deserved.
Errr, whatever. I was replying to a post that wasn’t about tint or indicators, but hey, if it makes you feel better.
It’s all one in the same. You enforce all the laws so people obey them! How hard is that to understand? It’s pure and simple laziness and that is the reason any of the traffic laws cannot be enforced… it doesn’t take funding to give a ticket, it takes proactive policing which is close to 0. They drive around with their lights on but they are not doing anything. They can’t even be bothered to use an indicator.
Errr. And the above assertion was denying the assertion that there was a funding issue.
The traffic department could easily pay for its self with fines, it could probably fund the whole of the Civil Service with the terrible driving here
This!
5:47 The traffic unit was fully funded and staffed until Baines arrived here. He adopted the pretty much standard UK law enforcement option of disbanding it. I come from a very large county in the East Anglia and they typically only have 3-4 dedicated traffic units on the road at any one time. That’s the problem.
Blaming “speed” is a cop out. (No pun intended). Inappropriate speed and dangerous driving are the problem, not exceeding an arbitrary, an often too low number on a sign. Be careful what you wish for or you end up with the island covered in speed cameras which all the uninsured, untaxed, unlicenced, dangerous drivers just ignore.
“Blaming speed is a cop out.”
“Inappropriate speed […is] the problem.”
Okay then.
ADDICTION to the ADRENALINE RUSH from speed has consumed this world…..
Addicts will always rationalize their behaviour!
Look in the mirror and admit YOUR addiction.
SPEED KILLS!
Best stay at home then.
If you need the difference between speed and inappropriate speed explaining you probably shouldn’t be on the road either.
wa about rge drunks out rum point on weekens…both in cars/trucks and boats???? how many people need die before something done anout it????
What about all the people driving round stoned out of their skulls? Don’t RCIPS have the roadside drug driving test kits the police use in the UK?
I see the stoners are giving this comment the thumbs down. Since the kits were introduced in the UK over 50% of drivers tested after an accident or after being seen driving erratically have tested positive for drugs. It’s a serious problem – what are RCIPS doing about it?
Let’s test everyone for being under the influence of OTC sleeping tablets while we’re over doing it. Was the case when a recent Judge crashed if I recall correctly.
FYI – at worst, a funny memorable moment of mine was being careful and stopping to let a car out, only to realize 3 seconds later that it was a parked car for sale on the curb. 100x safer than drinking alcohol.
2:54 And you’ve just illustrated the problem. Too many people are making too much money out of illegal drugs here for the politicians to let the police crack (if you’ll excuse the pun) down on drug driving.
I’ll give you one stat – the active ingredient in ganga (THC) shows up in the UK’s roadside tests up to two days after the drug was last used. That means it’s still in the driver’s system and impacting their ability to drive safely. Back in the day a friend of mine did LSD and he used to get flashbacks while driving (he stopped at a green light more than a few times) a week after his last trip. Simple chemistry – alcohol metabolises and gets flushed out of your system over a relatively short time but long-term effects of drugs of all kinds are nowhere near as predictable. RCIPS needs to tackle this.
@ Anonymous 2:54 – Mindless comment typical of the youth on these islands. Does your mum know you’re posting c*** like this?
Drivers are constantly running the stop signs at both ends of the road that goes down past JGHS (from Banana Walk to Drumblade), I think it is called Aspiration Drive? Very dangerous anywhere, but especially in a school zone.
Has anyone else noticed an increase in the number of big trucks with spikes sticking out of the wheels? What is the purpose of these. I see no other purpose other than to ensure maximum damage is inflicted to any cyclist or person who happens to get in their way. These things are fine if you are a Roman chariot racer but should not be legal on the roads in Cayman. Why are they allowed and what are the drivers trying to compensate for?
Whilst I happen to agree with you, there is an actual reason, these spikes stick out of the front wheels to the same distance as the additional wheel at the rear of the vehicle (where they have double wheels on each side) this stops them going through a gap and then hitting the wheels at the back. – But I agree, they look naff! 🙂
Errr not on a crap box 1996 Honda Civic.
They are for shredding cyclists
Third world drivers with third world police enforcement. Not gonna change in this lifetime.
Aaahhh boy…. its Christmas all year round for these work permit and permanent residence holders. Never had it so good in all their life!
Imagine! Dese enjoying cars that they never had before….
The Govt has to address poor public transport.
They have. There’s now an app so you can see how much your taxi is going to rip you off if it turns up.
yep…..cayman uber….it would be funny if it wasn’t so stupid and backward!
So, we all know that there is drunk and dangerous driving most every evening. Sunday traffic from Rum Point (aptly named) is a known route where this happens routinely! Last night I left North Side at 6pm to dinner to Seven Mile Beach and returned at 9:30pm….and didn’t cross one single Police vehicle. None! Where are they? Why always do most everything reactive as opposed to pro-active?!
This is what happens when there is so little traffic law enforcement!
Give me Uber or Flex and I’ll stop.
Taxi’s with meters would work too.
And also lower the rate
Also regular taxis would be fine. They don’t need to be third world-style mini buses.
A direct result of the former police commish disbanding the traffic department. Ever since then it has been chaos on the roads. Absolutely no ongoing enforcement led people to drive with impunity. Will now take a massive ongoing enforcement action to change the driving culture. Good luck with that.
The driving culture is another import from our third world neighbors who are tolerated because of their wotes.
third world neighbors? I have seen us caymanians drive like maniacs, what is it with you people and this generalizing terms! leave the expats alone, they do the work we are too lazy to do and don’t want to do because we think we are entitled for being “BORN” on this “Precious” land. point made
Dwayne, do you know what also contributes to sustained levels of speeding and DUIs? The RCIPS continuing to pretend they will one day be increasing their patrols – always in the future tense – and never adequately, or proportionately materializing, even during the annual Purple Ribbon “Blitz”. After two decades of inaction, the public is understandably frustrated and skeptical.
If only there was a way I could order a reasonably priced ride home from an app on my phone, a company that created jobs, that didn’t charge me an buddy $70 to get from SMB to Hurleys roundabout, it’d also be nice if that company had a proven track record of lowering drink driving offenses – what a world it would be.
Could you image if such a service existed? How amazing would it be if a group of young Caymanians spent their time to develop a service to do just that and help solve the very problem we keep hearing about. Alas, no such service exists or been refused their licenses again and again and again.
hey, taxi drivers must make 3k to 7k a month during highseason. (and that’s factual dollar figures, as I am in a department that is in the know) Or else it isn’t fun to drive a taxi. Sad when taxi drivers are making more than I am, and I have a university education and work at a high level job.
But we don’t want uber here.
Is there no commercial liability law? In Canada, if you serve someone who is drunk and that person causes any injury to themselves or others they can sue you (the company). It’s called the Liquor License law. All parties who serve, sell, or handle alcohol undergo mandatory training to ensure that they don’t serve someone who is drunk or over-serve someone intending to get drunk.
The problem is, too many hands in the alcohol business.
Inspire drivers? Would it not be better to get out there and start enforcing the law? Everyday I witness people on cell phones, people who have no lane discipline, speeding, near misses with cyclists, trucks driving very dangerously, trucks spilling their loads driving in the dark with no lights or driving in the dark with full beam lights and the list goes on. Just this evening I saw a truck pull out into the road from a junction in an effort to stop traffic, the traffic went around it including a police car which did nothing. How many more people have to die before the police realise this problem is deadly? Policing traffic is full time, not simply having ‘crack downs’ every few months. Ask yourselves why people speed and drive drunk? The answer is because most of the time they get away with it!
Is “extremely fatal” more fatal than regular old fatal?
Look at all these thousands of vehicles with illegal tinting (everything except the wing mirrors), and consider how all these drivers go scot free when driving without a seatbelt or using a cell phone at the wheel.
The police are their bredren that’s why they get away with it.
Police should get a portion of the fine issued for incentive!
No. How about they earn their salary?
I think they should get salary deducted if they don’t hit a certain quota.
so dwayne, where wrre the police this morning at 6:30am on linford pierson highway? i was there and they were speeding like crazy there?
There’s less than 25 officers in traffic. So at best I’d guess there’s no more than 3 or 4 units on patrol at most times. Linford Pierson, West Bay Road, South Sound, ETH, Spotts raceway, all of East End. There’s 6 areas people always speed. Assuming the units aren’t tied up dealing with a crash, there’s plenty of places police cannot be. They’re also not supported by passive speed cameras, so yeah, that’s why they’re probably not catching speeders like you describe.
free money making solution: treble all speeding fines. 2 fines in 1 year and you lose your liscense.
Yeah, but that would involve a traffic stop, AND someone writing a ticket.
No, your repeated failures to fairly enforce any law with any type of consistency is what allows drunk driving and speeding to be so prevalent, and gives rise to so many crashes.
Why not try blaming the people who actually speed and drive drunk? You know, the ones actually responsible?
Yet, we pay 400 RCIPS officers >$50mln a year to tackle this, literally the easiest of their responsibilities, and they tell us back that they’ll attend to it later…
Who is responsible? We should see their names in court lists. We should know of their licenses being suspended. We should have whole schools built with the proceeds of their fines.
None of this happens because the police fail to enforce all our laws, all the time. Indeed, many police appear to ignore the laws. Any illegal tint in the police station car park? Have you seen a police car indicate?
You do see their names. They’re all listed online on court website. You’re welcome.
A pathetic sample of the overt and obvious infractions ongoing everywhere.
There is personal culpability and then there are systemic problems. Both should be held responsible for the poor driving standards here.
Of course they are blamed. However if we had a competent police force these drunk drivers would be caught and off the streets. But is seems we like it this way, as we continue to import the same brand.
Dross matey. Utter dross. There are a few simple solutions to this island’s DUI problems.
1. Order the taxi drivers to charge a fair fare and NOT the ludicrous rip-off fares that they impose. More people will use them and leave the car at home. Everyone benefits. But they won’t because they are related in some obscure way to MLAs and will moan their face off that they aren’t making a decent living.
2. Regulate properly the bus service (term used loosely) on this island and provide a decent product. More people will use them and leave the car at home. Everyone benefits. But they won’t because they are related in some obscure way to MLAs and will moan their face off that they aren’t making a decent living.
3. See 1 and 2 above.
4. Instead of fining people for using a cell phone or speeding, let’s follow the Mother country’s example and start issuing points on a licence and disqualifying people from driving.
5. Let’s beef up the ridiculous ‘driving test’ and actually test people on the road as per our Mother country. If it was done properly, you would half the amount of drivers on the road instantly because they can’t actually drive.
But they won’t because there is money involved. So just deal with the clowns that infest our roads.
Normalized ritual late-night alcoholism and driving are the real deadly mixture. There are other solutions besides drinking and driving, spinning the wheel of chance drunk (because you are an excellent driver), killing or injuring yourself, a passenger, or other motorist/pedestrian/pet.
(a) know yourself – that you are going out specifically to get loaded and then don’t bring your car
(b) arrange roundtrip transport before you go out knowing (a)…also called being an responsible adult
(c) sleep it off on the beach, or at a friend’s house if you have to. Don’t drive drunk
Your lack of foresight, knowing that you are going out to get drunk, can’t be blamed on your aversion to local taxi transport – which frankly, mile for mile, after midnight, during surge period, wouldn’t be much more than an Uber Black in any major urban center.
WRONG
This isn’t a socialist protectorate that should have to invest in 24/7 regulated transport infrastructure to get the selfish and selectively-frugal drunk asses home. Enabling deeper drinking/partying problems for those with Circadian issues is not a remedy, especially after the “money involved” for transport has been consumed by the aggrieved at the club on bottle service and rounds of shots.
Decent living??!!! Taxi drivers are making 3k CI in low season, to 7k CI a month in high season. Decent living. I will take that living any day of the week. You make 5K to 7K CI a month?
Taxi drivers are making better money in some months than senior positions in business and government.
“Last year 189 people were fined for not wearing seat-belts, 2,128 were caught speeding, 613 were fined for using their phones while driving and 328 were arrested for DUI.”
Imagine what those numbers would be if they actually tried? Would Inspector Jones like to share how many of the 328 arrested for DUI were the direct result of these drunken morons crashing vs actual police intervention?
My drive to work and back is about 10 mins each way. In my 20 mins on the road each day I can see on average 10 traffic infractions. What I never see is a police cruiser.
Is this the same officer that said a few months back they will be cracking down on unsecured loads and people riding in the back of pickups? Can the RCIPS provide numbers from this crackdown because I have not seen any decrease in this behavior.
You sound like a lot of fun. Not!
What do you think you sound like? Grow up.