Holiday campaign begins to cut drunk-driving

| 30/11/2020 | 21 Comments

(CNS): With the Cayman Islands’ statistics for crashes seemingly getting worse each year, the police have once again joined forces with Hurley’s Media and the National Drug Council to launch the annual road safety campaign. This is the 20th year that the RCIPS has teamed up with various entities to cut road crashes and stop boozed-up drivers from getting behind the wheel during the festive period.

This year the Arrive Alive 345 Campaign combines three elements: Arrive Alive, don’t drink and drive; take the online pledge, designate a driver; and on New Year’s Eve, ride free.

“This time of year is meant to be a joyful and relaxing time, however the holidays typically are accompanied by a large number of road incidents that could be avoided,” said Brad Ebanks, Acting Superintendent of Police in charge of Uniform Services with the RCIPS. “The safety of members of the community is our paramount concern and so we are happy to be a part of the Arrive Alive 345 Campaign.”

The campaign will commence with the six-week Purple Ribbon Pledge, encouraging people to show their commitment to practicing safe driving by taking the online pledge not to drink and drive over the holidays or displaying a purple ribbon car magnet on their vehicle. The designated driver programme starts Tuesday, when participating bars and restaurants will be offering customers who are designated drivers free non-alcoholic drinks.

The Arrive Alive 345 Purple Ribbon Pledge campaign will end on 31 December with the New Year’s Eve free Purple Ribbon Bus service. At least ten buses will run between 9:00pm and 4:00am servicing all districts in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac.

“We recognise the importance to keep riders safe. Therefore, we are taking the necessary safety precautions and have increased our buses to allow for social distancing on the buses during New Year’s Eve,” said NDC Prevention Officer Delisa Hernandez.  

On New Year’s Eve 2019, the Arrive Alive 345 and free buses contributed to a successful night with no fatal crashes and only two arrests for DUI’s in the early morning hours of 1 January.

“In 2020, we hope we are able to further increase the use of the Purple Ribbon Bus and work with the public towards zero DUI’s on December 31 and January 1,” said Hernandez.

Brydie Phillips, Marketing and PR Manager at Hurley’s Media, urged drivers to get behind the campaign so everyone in Cayman gets home to their families safely this Christmas and New Year.


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Category: Crime, Crime Prevention, Police

Comments (21)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    It’s hard to believe that so many people is against taxi driver here in the cayman island and what they don’t know is that majority of those drivers are honest and what they also don’t know is that taxi drivers don’t make the fare, all fare are given to them by transportation board and the cruise fare is given to them by the port authority of the cayman island these drivers have to work with those two government department, some of these people discriminate taxi drivers but just imagine if every one had to work in offices or banking what would happen, taxi drivers have bills also and they have family to feed just like any one else, its not all taxi drivers are rip off like how some people claim, these vehicles run with gas not water and they have to pay insurance and licence just like anyone else who own a vehicle, have a merry Christmas and a safe one

  2. Anonymous says:

    Give me Uber or Flex and I’ll stop.

    • Anonymous says:

      Flex charges as much as taxi mafia. No thank you.

    • Anonymous says:

      If you want to stop, try Alcoholics Anonymous

      • Anonymous says:

        No thanks. The last meeting I went to had stale donuts and bad coffee. Plus, there was some holier than thou guy who made sure that everyone knew he was sober and that he had issues with his father. Its a hard no for me!

  3. Anonymous says:

    free money making solution:
    bring in uber that will create hundreds of jobs for locals….and end the rip-off taxi cartle that does untold damage to the tourist reputation of cayman

  4. Anonymous says:

    Until the taxi mafia is dismantled this is pointless. Until cops actually patrol to pull over for any infraction no matter how minor, this is pointless. Until the cops themselves follow the road laws, this is pointless.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Maybe some taxis will actually operate past 8pm???

  6. Anonymous says:

    Get Uber up and running, where there’s a proper charging system XXXX and the numbers will drop. Need a reliable and easy to pay taxi service not with made up prices for multiple drop offs in the same area.

  7. Soberman says:

    I’m afraid to say that in Cayman, large numbers of boozed up drivers get behind the wheel throughout the year, not just during the festive period.

  8. Anonymous says:

    I expect all of the taxi drivers that are out of work to be working during this Xmas period. CIG- give them a maintenance stipend to get their vans back in working order- set a rate that would not rip everyone off but can still put food on the drivers table. Then the public would be more than happy to use the services and avoid drunk driving arrests and accidents. – this should be applied to the Sunday brunch crowd way too many drunk drivers just don’t think about it because it’s in the day. Come on it’s been a tough year let us get drunk and get safe cheap rides home

  9. Anonymous says:

    Which bars are participating?

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