Fifth road victim of year dies in hospital
(CNS): Brendon Lee Gayle (25), who was involved in a serious collision on Mangrove Avenue last week, has died in hospital. Police said Gayle, who is from Jamaica, died on Tuesday, five days after the crash, which happened in the early hours of Thursday, 24 March, and is the fifth person this year to die after a collision on Cayman’s roads. It is believed that Gayle veered off the road as he was heading north in a black Honda Stream. He then drove into a fence before colliding with a utility pole.
No other vehicles were involved in the smash and Gayle was alone in the car. His death further serves to illustrate the problems on Cayman’s roads.
According to the road traffic statistics for 2021, which were published Wednesday, 2,633 crashes were reported to the police last year, including 328 very serious collisions, nine of which were fatal. There are currently 36,615 legally registered vehicles on the roads and the sheer volume of traffic is contributing to the daily collisions.
But the more serious smashes are most often due to poor driver behaviour. This is one of the reasons that the RCIPS is investing significant resources in the traffic unit in an effort to address the poor standard of driving.
“A lot of it is down to personal behaviour. You cannot keep spinning in and out of traffic lanes and you cannot keep exceeding the speed limit,” Police Commissioner Derek Byrne said at a press briefing on Wednesday to launch the annual statistics. “It’s really about drivers taking personable responsibility… We are seeing some very erratic behaviour on the roads… The answer is for the police to… intercept and prosecute in so far as we can.”
The commissioner said this was why they were expanding the traffic enforcement.
“We still have a journey to go to put more traffic enforcement personnel in to send out a clear message and make the roads much safer,” he said, noting the nine deaths last year and five in just the first three months of 2022. “It’s really concerning… It is a pretty serious situation.”
According to the report, police issued 9,097 tickets for traffic offences in 2021, a 19% increase over 2020. Of those, 3,730 tickets were issued for speeding, which was down 7% from 2020. However, 312 people were charged with DUI, which was an increase of 37% over 2020 and resulted from the targetting of drunk drivers during weekends last year.
The number of reported MVAs was up 22% in 2021 compared to 2020 and 27 people suffered serious injury in road collisions last year, while 292 people received minor injuries in the reported crashes.
See the 2021 crime and traffic report in the CNS Library.
See the full press briefing on CIGTV below:
- Fascinated
- Happy
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- Bored
- Afraid
Any analysis done on where the accidents are occurring? Any “black spots” identified?
nope…that would be common sense thing to do.
So more road deaths this year than deaths from Covid among the fully vaccinated population?
fully vaccinated in total.
Yet police dont care about drink driving but we have 1000 restrictions for covid.
To add insult to injury, an unlicensed Jamaican, driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle hit another vehicle. The judge, Jamaican, let him off and he remains on the Island today.
The Attorney General, also a Jamaican doesn’t appeal or call for more stringent measures against foreign law breakers in the Cayman Islands…
You think the culture of bad driving is bad? Just wait for the coming violent crimes. Its just a matter of time before shootouts injure or kill innocent bystanders and the criminals have been emboldened.
Google Jamaica’s murder rate and be very mindful of your surroundings because they have influenced many young people.
rip.
rcips needs to record nationalities of those involved in accidents. this will tell you alot.
uk does not automatically accept jamican driving liscence …why do we do it here?
Good call. Put an foi in, I’m fairly sure the nationalities of those involved will be recorded somewhere.
As a Jamaican, I know about the deplorable driving habits of some of my people back in Jamaica. Since moving here, I have witnessed the same driving habits played out on Cayman roads; and yes admittedly by some of my very own people.
Every road fatality this year on Grand Cayman has been a Jamaican, as far as I can recall. This says something about the cultural driving habits that SOME of us have. Nevertheless, it goes without saying, the same shoe doesn’t fit on everyone.
you judge a society by it’s whole, not by it’s few. If the average Jamaican does not use signal lights and do not follow rules. It’s not “some” Jamaicans, but you must regard that as what Jamaicans do.
What garbage.
you wouldn’t need to swerve in and out of traffic if people stuck to the left lane unless they are passing or turning
All those who clicked DISLIKE need to read the highway code or stop driving. The outside lane is for overtaking only. Cruising in the outside lane is BAD DRIVING, period.
Correct. But the people weaving in and out are doing 70mph in a 40 mph zone
So you have a choice, move over and let the idiots get on their way and crash at the next roundabout or stay in the wrong lane and make them swerve round you and possibly hit you. You can’t complain about people ignoring the rules of the road if you are too, driving in the wrong lane.
Maybe call it the right lane. “Outside” lane is outside of what?
If you would go the speed limit you wouldn’t need to swerve in and out of lanes.
The speeders wouldn’t need to swerve round you if you were in the correct lane. You people are as bad as each other. Learn to drive safely!
When did I say what lane I drive in? I stated that these idiots need to stop speeding and driving like d****.
“Personal Responsibility” – something sadly lacking in the world today
“…and this year’s scene sees the continuing rivalry between Young Jamaican Men and Solid Roadside Obstacles…!! It seems like the Jamaican team has been speedily preparing while the Roadside crews, as always, are remaining steadfast. Trainers for the Jamaicans said that their preparation, particularly in driving skills of some of their team, was rushed and that may have contributed to the results but other factors are also being reviewed.”
Roadside Objects had no comment. Nonetheless, they admit that the scoreboard is not encouraging.
So, with this the score rests at:
SRO – 0 / YJM – 5.
RIP
We have terrible driving standards mostly because the RCIP have been incredibly absent in consistently and robustly enforcing driving standards (or any other standards) for around 20 years despite us paying many millions for them to do so. We reap what we sow.
Not mostly to do with RCIP, mostly to do with poor standards of cars, ability to forge Philippine driving licences with nothing more than a laminator and photcopyer, poor testing exams, poor instructors and generally a culture that not only accepts, but almost encourages drink driving as the norm
Ummm, the RCIP are responsible for taking unsafe vehicles off the road. They don’t.
Can’t just blame the RCIP – people need to take personal responsibility for safe driving
I do. And I drive safely. The danger is mostly others, who the rcip tolerate careening towards me around blind corners, and in the wrong lane.
Not RCIPS fault at all. Its CIG/DVDL for giving out driving licenses like they’re sweeties.
Jamaicans and they bad driving have taken over the roads ….police non existent it seems????
Shift changes, yada, yada, yada
Could it be that as majority of the police are from Jamaica that they tend to let the bad Jamaican drivers get a free pass?
It sure as hell looks that way. Whose standards are the police enforcing? Jamaica’s or Cayman’s? There is a HUGE difference.
Yeah right 😆
Police, get out their and enforce the laws:
Red Bay School zone, they fly past you doing over the speed limit (flashing light)
On Linford Pierson and other by pass roads they fly up your backside and honk the horn until they fly past
The old ratty dump trucks with shipping straps holding the tailgates shut and old muddy water running out. Plus they try to drive as fast as they can (over the speed limit)if the piece of junk can muster up enough speed.
Talking on phones, dark tint, flashing lights of all colors, music blasting so loud the whole car is shaking
Passing wherever they feel like irregardless of traffic flow or double lines
Riding up by the lane at end of the airport runway and then trying to cut in front of cars that have patiently waited in the proper lane when it gets close to the barriers that are installed, best is they then also hold up the other lane while they sit their flipping off people who won’t let them cut in.
It is just complete madness, not following the road code and total lack of respect on the roads. The police are nowhere to be found and it appears that they turn a blind eye to certain drivers. Who cares if that is how it goes in the other countries, this is the Cayman Islands and you need to follow the laws; if you don’t like it catch a flight out.
Don’t forget when they park in the middle of the road to pick up or drop off their buddies or girl friends.
And it doesn’t matter if it is a bypass even!
Byrne would probably be in favour of a lockdown to address the problem, easier to Police and all that…..
Byrne is just riding this donkey and collecting a big fat paycheck until he heads back to merry old England!
He comes from Ireland idiot
OK he is waiting to head back to the land of shamrocks & Guinness. At the end of the day the guy could put a stop to it but it appears he doesn’t want to “rock the boat”. Satisfied now 2:28????
what a stupid comment, expected though from the clowns who always blame someone else.
Since it is so stupid why don’t you hit the flight back to the UK?
yep…the man would bring in a curfew after sunset if he could….
Definitely no fishing and absolutely no pool cleaning.
He was apparently attacked and hit in the head prior to driving off so this does not seem to be simply a case of speeding / bad driving etc.
31 @ 1:21pm – Is RCIPS actually investigating that angle? Witnesses allege that to be true and it could be very significant.
But that would call for investigation and cooperation.
That was the prior incident, this is another one on the same street pal.
“RCIPS is investing significant resources in the traffic unit in an effort to address the poor standard of driving.”
Perhaps the driving would not be at such poor levels if the RCIPs didn’t disband the traffic department to begin with?
Would you like the current Commissioner to go back in time and prevent the previous Commissioner from doing so?
No need to go back in time, this is happening now. Commissioner looks unconcerned.
Enforcement from sports to gt every morning starting 6am. You should see some of these aggressive drivers.
Just as bad on ETH and getting worse on South Sound and Church Street
Because in their wisdom, pacthetic has forced all the traffic down south sound at the Grand Harbour roundabout
Very sad,but a lot of them don’t know the road code
Dont know, dont care and knows nothing or nobody stopping it
Like everything else around Cayman anymore, nobody gives a s&%T unless it affects their wallet!