Cops plan long-term traffic crackdown
(CNS): The RCIPS say that its weekend road safety and enforcement campaign, Operation Quaker, is going to be replaced with a long-term targetted traffic crackdown informed by the data gathered and experienced gained during this operation. During the campaign over the last five weekends, which was in response to the increase in serious road smashes, the traffic unit focused heavily on drivers who were speeding or had been drinking. Over the last holiday weekend six drunk drivers were arrested and around 60 tickets were issued, mostly for speeding. Police officers also attended ten road crash scenes.
Overall since the operation began at the end of May, just under 300 tickets have been doled out, over 50 drivers have been arrested for DUI and over 200 collisions were recorded.
“Our officers have noticed a change in driving behaviours and the gradual reduction in the enforcement numbers shows this,” said Inspector Dwayne Jones from the Traffic and Roads Policing Unit. “I hope that this is an indication that drivers are taking safe driving seriously and that this pattern of good driving behaviour will continue. Nevertheless, our Traffic and Roads Policing Officers will continue to make prosecutions for DUI and speeding a priority, in an effort to minimise road fatalities and other serious collisions.”
Acting Superintendent Brad Ebanks from the Uniform and Specialist Operations said that Operation Quaker was a success because additional officers were brought on board to maximise police presence on the roads at key times.
“This increase allowed us to do regular spot checks and increased enforcement while continuing to respond to other calls for service,” he said. “While Operation Quaker will not be continuing in its current form, we are now transitioning to a more targeted and long-term road safety policing strategy, utilising the findings from the operation.”
But the police are now dealing with a worrying and horrific increase in gang-related gun violence, largely in George Town. Over the last week ten men have been shot at two locations in the capital, two of them were killed, one is in a critical condition and the others sustained varying degrees of injury.
As a result officers are being diverted to more high visibility patrols.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
You bring in cheap labor who never dreamed of ever owning a vehicle , the then buy a car between themselves and don’t have a drivers license.
Sounds more like locals. Just saying.
I notice all the flak given RCIP. To be fair has anyone made an effort to assist them. You are allowed to contact them and give suggestions to improve life.
When shootings and robberies take place they expect cooperation from the public but seldom get it.
Why not make some positive suggestions on this blog and make a contribution to society. The cops here have a tough life, we need support them.
No effective leadership from the top, ends up with no effective policing at the bottom. Seems there’s no overall policy direction from the top, unless its that time of the month to seek some PR.
Bad driving is endemic. So why don’t the RCIPS decide to stop every vehicle on a chosen and key main road each day, check for correct paperwork, search the vehicle for drugs and guns, check for DUI. To hell with complainers in the traffic. Get used to at least 1 day a week where you’re gonna get stopped and checked. Want something done about bad driving ? Then be prepared to get caught up in the mayhem.
Haha a great idea, but I reckon about 60% of cars would be parked up by the side of the road, with about 20% arrested.
Crap cars, crap drivers, and people not insured/ licensed would be huge.
Please do not ask for m o r e money as it do not solve problems by the uncommitted.
There is a deficient mindset with the RCIPS and their PR department: commencing the cracking to your actual job description is not a revered moment worthy of champagne and applause, it’s normally the bare minimum to maintain employment. Do they even have performance criteria for their 400+ employees? Read the room guys: we are fatigued with alarm at these gaffing pronouncements, not reassured. That’s the opposite public affect than what should be intended.
What we need are a few hundred more painted squares with pretty bicycles in them.
Please please please can they out road signs up on the highway… drive on left overtake on right, stop going slow in the outside (right hand) lane… the right hand lane is for overtaking. Causes mass congestion and is dangerous as people have to undertake in the inside (left) lane.
The right lane is not for overtaking. There is no law in Cayman for that.
There is a law about staying to the left half of the road unless overtaking, but that law is in regards to overtaking in oncoming lanes.
It’s not a rule or a law in Cayman.
Even if there was no one would read those signs cause they don’t care.
It’s a norm for all countries that drive on the left, whether you know it or not…and now you do.
All countries, you say? Right.
I’m not concerned with what they do in Tonga, Pakistan or Uganda (all countries that drive on the left, by the way).
I’m concerned with Cayman.
Who cares what some other countries do. It’s not relevant in Cayman.
People need to adapt to how things are done here if they wish to live and drive here.
Suggest you read the Road Code booklet.
Suggest you read the traffic law.
Or, I can save you the time. There’s NO LAW in there about staying in the left lane except for overtaking.
The LEFT HALF of the road is mentioned. That’s for 2 lane roads like Sough Sound Road (for example).
For multiple lane roads, you stay to the left HALF of the road. Not the left lane.
You’re wrong. Period.
It IS a rule of law in Catman. Traffic Law 2011 defines “inconsiderate driving as:
“inconsiderate driving” includes –
(b) misusing of a lane to avoid queuing or to gain some other advantage over other drivers;
(c) unnecessarily remaining in an overtaking lane;
Section 77 says careless or inconsiderate driving is an offence liable to $1000 fine, 6 months in jail and a 12 month ban.
BTW, careless driving is defined as including overtaking on the inside, which a) wouldn’t make any sense if you were allowed to drive in the outside land as you see fit b) would make every single person that drove faster than some idiot driving under the limit in the outside lane a law breaker.
If someone is driving 40 in the right lane (where the speed limit is 40), why should they move over so you can speed by them?
If they’re going slow, then fine. But I’m not moving over just to assist you with speeding. You can stay behind me.
The inside lane is the right lane. The outside lane is the left lane.
You are confused.
Hello 7.47pm I don’t think you are quite right with your comments my friend, but there is a lot of that going on in these blogs.
FYI
Section 68 of the Traffic Act 2021 – (o) driving duties, they shall obey the road code.
section 3.3.12 of Road Code (in the Traffic Regulations) – (iv), extract from divided highyway or multi-lane “Use the right-hand lane for overtaking or turning right. As soon as practicable after overtaking, you are to move back to the left lane.
In addition the the Traffic Act, specifically refers to overtaking on the inside as ‘careless driving’ and also unnecessarily remaining in an overtaking lane as “inconsiderate driving”.
You are more than welcome to revert to these publications as they are readily available on line – but you should already be aware of them.
Its a shame more drivers aren’t aware of these ‘rules’ as I’m fairly confident the traffic would flow a lot more efficiently and of course safer.
Should I forward this info to the Roads Policing Units?
I’m not sure why the police need to do press releases to say they are going to do what they get paid to do. You don’t see doctors, lawyers, accountants, plumbers, electricians and everyone else on the island doing that.
I agree that basic rules of the road in first world countries dictate that slow traffic stays in the left lane if you drive on the left. If the laws here do not specifically say that then they need to be updated to deal with dual carriage ways.
I’m sure there are loads of other things that need to be updated in the road laws as well to bring them up-to-date. One other obvious one is child seats for children. Everyday I see children standing up in the back seat or being held by “adults”. It’s only a matter of time before a small child is killed in a low speed accident because they are not in child seats.
A decision has to be made, do we drive UK Style, Miami Style or continue with the hybrid of UK, US, Jam? What we have currently is a the “wild west” out there.
I also see a new practice of cars approaching a roundabout in the left hand land, signalling right ( in which case they are in the wrong lane), but going straight on, and this is being taught by the driving schools!
Laws and rules mean nothing to many drivers here. Never did and never will. No law enforcement means no training and things stay the same. Get used to it. Meaningful law enforcement is culturally insensitive here. Just ask Honorable for life, Speaker of the house, Ex Premier, Woman beater, and King of West Bay Bush.
Is Inspector Jones aware that it is illegal to run a red light?. Is he aware that this happens dozens of times every day at the Eastern Ave/West Bay Rd junction?, (one of many). Is he aware that in the 50 years I have lived here, that nobody has ever been fined for this traffic violation?.
You may have lived here for 50 years but there has not been a red light there for 50 years.
Come again Elmo @1:20pm above
9.46am You come again Dumbo, my comment if you read it referred to the traffic violation, not the location, and I stand by it.
Wrong. I got done years ago in town on Fort Street/ Harbour Drive. That is the one place where it goes on all the time except when Fantastic Cop, Fabian is dancing around. You must get your facts straight my friend.
Bring back the OG Sargeant McFarlane he was the real good and well respected GT cop!
You can actually proceed through a red light if you are turning left, following a full stop and if your path is clear.
If there’s a sign that says so. Some are no longer there, so drivers who used to do it, still do it. Others, who have never seen ther sign, may not do it. In any case, clarification would be great.
So they are continuing to do their job? What a waste these clowns are. There are about 7 speeders every morning from spotts to gt but never a cop. And just just a 5mph over, at lease 15mph over.
It would help if we had fewer Jamaican police.
They judge by Jamaican standards of driving and policing in general.
BINGO! You win a prize.
Hopefilly its nothing to do with 876
Unfortunately you’re correct.
6:46 Ask your Great Grand Dad from when Jamaican Police been here!