RCIPS nets 20+ drunk drivers in one month
(CNS): More than 20 drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol last month, with some being more than three times over the legal limit. Given the role that drinking plays in the significant number of smashes on Cayman’s roads every day, traffic officers said they are being extra vigilant during their patrols in an effort to deter drivers from drinking.
“We have lost too many lives to the misuse of the roadways in the Cayman Islands, specifically to DUI and speeding,” said Acting Superintendent Brad Ebanks, who heads Uniform and Specialist Operations. “Let us consider our loved ones in our decisions and do the right thing by not drinking and driving. If we all do our part we can significantly reduce the risks to ourselves and others. Drive Safely Cayman Islands.”
Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and seek alternative means of getting around when out drinking.
While DUI is a major contributor to the daily crash toll, speeding is also a problem. During the second week of February, officers dished out 49 speeding tickets to drivers in the district of West Bay during traffic enforcement operations.
Inspector Lloyd Marriott, District Commander of the West Bay Police Station, said his officers along with the traffic unit engaged in the clampdown. The increased traffic enforcement operations in the district were in response to growing community concerns about speeding and unsafe driving practices, police said.
“This operation is not just one of enforcement but also for our officers to gathering information on how to make the communities and roadways in West Bay safer,” Inspector Marriott said, adding that there are plans for more operations.
Officers issued more than 80 tickets to drivers and the senior officer urged drivers to be more attentive, especially during school zones.
The police reminded drivers that anyone convicted on a first offence from drunk driving is liable to a fine of $1,000 and disqualification for a minimum of 12 months, as well as the threat of six months in jail. These penalties all increase for second offences.
I took a taxi one time. They broke the law 7 times while taking me home. One of which was not know what side of the road to drive on in a construction site and driving on the wrong side of the road for over a block. I will never use a taxi in this country as long as I live because I want to live.
These police officers couldn’t catch a cold, let alone drunk drivers. Have you seen how they drive, they are terrible drivers themselves. I followed one for less than half a mile the other day. They broke more than 7 traffic laws in that time. Pathetic. Blind leading the blind around here.
20 in a month ? Hardly worth the effort policing this. So for all the drunks on the road, less than 1 per day was arrested ? They could arrest more just by parking outside fidel murphy’s on a Friday night.
A lot of drunk drivers are still better drivers than some of the most sober people on our roads. I’m way more worried when I see a car coming towards me with a Caymanian flag on the roof and a crucifix hanging from the mirror- now that is an unpredictable road user.
Never going to indicate at the roundabouts! Just like all the taxis. Hazardous
Clearly there are no “productivity quotas” beyond slightly improving on last year’s statistics, and toasting those at the annual Ritz champagne Policeman’s Ball. If there were only one officer and they spent every day working a full 3 days on, 3 days off shift schedule, this would still amount to less than one community DUI detected per day. Most of these were coincident detections at crash sites where 2 or more DUIs collected. Please tell us we have a ranked international dominos team, and that they are all serving RCIPS officers, at least that would be something we could all understand, and square with the salaries we pay.
I see drunk drivers everyday. There should be dozens caught every week if the police actually cared to make a consistent effort which over time would actually curb this behavior. I don’t drive anymore on Friday and Saturday nights. No thanks.
Stoned out of their skulls?
If you’re confused, that was posted in reply to 9:52am but obviously didn’t get linked in!
How can you tell if someone is toned while driving?
Drug swipe as used everyday by cops in the UK.
free solution: bring in uber
will provide employment and will break the rip-off taxi cartel for good.
oopps i forgot…that makes too much sense for joey hew….
Two young Caymanians have tried to start a ride-service company (similar to Uber) and have been black-balled by government. Ridiculous!
Give me Uber or Flex and I’ll stop.
Yes to uber but flex costs as much as a taxi so nope.
Some guys started Flex but the government said can only be taxi drivers, who are so ridiculous they only take cash so ruined it. Let uber drivers be anyone (residents too, non-taxi drivers etc) and you would go a long way to employing tourist workers who lost their income due to covid. CLearly the government taxi cartel is too lucrative – not suprising in a country where taxis and police cars can’t signal or drive properly
Should be a minimum 20 every weekend. I don’t know if the statistics presented are anything to be proud of.
I don’t see anything to be proud of here at all. What would be interesting is the figure for the number of people breath-tested in the month because it’s the comparison between the two that gives the true picture.
Typical UK figure from where I come from is about 10% one in ten if you like) of the tests conducted are positive but at one site they conducted 75 tests without finding anyone over the limit. Data like that from RCIPS would be useful. The other thing RCIPS need to tackle is people driving stoned. The results of the roadside testing in the UK indicate it’s a much bigger problem than people think.
Amounts to 400 full time salaried and benefited officers, most of them coincident freebees to crash sites where 2 or more vehicles involved DUI drivers. How many did they actually intercept? Was it even 5?
Can’t catch me I’m the Gingerbread man!
https://www.google.com/amp/s/norml.org/news/2005/05/26/pot-compound-protects-against-alcohol-induced-brain-damage/%3famp
Appears that the root of the problem is the the poor regulation of drugs aka alcohol.
A liqour store on every street corner with no limit to the amount individuals can purchase, what the hell does anyone think is going to happen?
Funny how if by any miracle cannabis is decriminalized or even legalised it will come with a limit to how much an individual can possess even if it’s just for personal use but, meanwhile.. you can literally have a wine cellar with enough alcohol to get the whole Island drunk.
Funny how that works huh?
Anyone who supports the production and sales of alcohol and/or tobacco cigars in Cayman yet does not support legalization of Cannabis (medically proven, no overdose possible) needs to take a long hard look in the mirror at the definition double-standardism.
And yet I see people racing all the time and no cops. 49 tickets a day should be the goal.
It would be a huge performance improvement if the RCIPS chose (at a bare minimum) to show up for work just a few hours of one work day a week, that being dusk after a normal Friday cocktail hour. Simply pull over all the vehicles driving around without their headlights on, as you are supposed to do, using the Section 138 probable cause ticket, and then add on whatever dangerous driving, DUIs, noxious vehicle, weapons, drugs offenses you can cite. The RCIPS seem to be completely unfamiliar with the leaflet that is the Traffic Law, and they coddle our drinking society with do-overs and second chances, if they’re even bothering to be on shift.
§138 General Penalty
A person who commits an offence under this Law or a regulation for which
no penalty is prescribed is liable on summary conviction to a fine of two
thousand five hundred dollars (KYD$2,500) or to imprisonment for six months, or to both.
So what’s the excuse for these sober drivers that cant drive for shit??
Dont talk about the police officers like that!
No driver’s Ed. and a licensing system that passes people for horrible/dangerous driving.
If I had my license from 1950 there is no need for me to take a simple test to ensure that I am aware of the new signage and junctions. Cayman roads in the 1950’s are not the same roads today. Common sense should tell CIG that, but then again there is none of that in CIG.
You’d probably be in your 90s by now, and shouldn’t really be driving.
The year, was just an example. I’m sure you’re smart enough to get the point.