Drivers ‘smash’ record with 94 collisions in one week
(CNS): The RCIPS is reporting a significant increase in road collisions, with an average this year of 66 crashes per week rising to a record-breaking 94 per week over the last fortnight. There are serious collisions regularly on Cayman’s roads and nine people have died this year in six separate fatal crashes.
Most of the collisions over the last few weeks were minor or damage-only. However, given the significant increase, the police are asking people to help them tackle the terrible driving standards by submitting dashcam footage.
Many of the growing number of crashes that have been reported can be attributed to offences like speeding, careless driving or DUI, with some resulting in prosecution and fines. In a significant number the drivers fled the scene of the accident, the RCIPS said.
Around 70% of all collisions reported so far this year have taken place in George Town. Police said the West Bay Road, North Sound Road, Esterley Tibbetts Highway and Shamrock Road are some of the most notorious for collisions and speeding.
As the Christmas Season approaches, the RCIPS is urging motorists not to drink and drive, and have a plan to get home following any festivities. Drivers should reduce their speed, put down mobile phones and give one hundred percent attention to driving.
As usual, the police will partner with the National Drug Council and Compass Media for the Arrive Alive 345 Campaign to promote their seasonal road safety message. This means stressing the importance of making good decisions and highlighting the severe community impact when motorists make poor driving decisions.
Chief Superintendent Brad Ebanks said the police hope that as the holiday season progresses, motorists and other road users will adopt better driving behaviour.
“For the remainder of the year, our aim is to ensure that everyone remains unharmed and safe,” he said. “To this end, we ask that the public assist us by being our eyes and ears; send us dashcam footage that captures poor driving behaviour so that we may tailor our response to the occurrences on our roadway.”
Members of the public who submit dashcam footage to the police can also assist in prosecuting offenders by providing a statement and assisting with the traffic investigation. Footage can also be submitted anonymously to the RCIPS website.
The RCIPS thanked members of the community who continue to ensure their safety and the safety of others by making good driving decisions and driving defensively. This means driving cautiously, following the rules of the road, and being aware of their surroundings so they can identify and avoid dangerous road situations.
See here for more tips on safe driving.
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Simple solution. NRA just needs to put those flexi bollards all over the roads so you can’t change lanes. just get in one lane and off you go.
why is Cayman so hell bent on smashing demoralizing records ? – there’s this now pillaring the push to 100,000…
‘Driving’ has a different meaning for many in my beloved Cayman. Sadly!
Everyone driving in cayman should be forced to take a UK standard theory and practical driving test. Cayman follows the UK highway code. The accident rate here is 35 times the rate per person in the uk. The biggest thing i see is not indicating at roundabouts, or incorrectly indicating right as you approach a roundabout but go straight on. Also not using the inner most available lane on highways. All three offenses should result in a loss of your license.
Safety messages are a waste of time and completely ineffective.They are however much easier to implement than the solution which will bring down serious accidents considerably.The police need to get out on the roads and man speed checks,this will result in numerous prosecutions, large fines and a lot less accidents.
More than a decade of inadequate or inept policing. A near total abandonment of standards, or any meaningful enforcement. What did they think was going to happen?
Until the RCIP abandon the ‘fire brigade’ model of policing that they appear to have adopted nothing will change. Given the size of the organization their visibility is woeful. I had high hopes that with a new deputy Commissioner things may start to improve and that he’d bang a few heads together to get the staff performing, but it seems to be the old same old story.
Let’s take these campaigns as a reminder that a lot of these accidents are symptoms of larger issues in transportation that span beyond personal responsibility.
The lack of reliable public transport and the taxi cartel responsible for exorbitant prices, the push back against any Cayman version of Uber (but somehow can’t find the time to enforce the illegal Island Drive app) all contribute to people making dumb decisions.
Inebriated people will not spend half of what they made during the day trying to get home.
Carting out the purple ribbons and an all night bus once a year is a joke when government has spent hundreds of thousands on trips and consultants suggesting a full multi-million dollar overhaul.
Remember this report from Deloitte last year?
https://www.caymancompass.com/2023/11/09/cayman-needs-a-modern-government-run-public-bus-service-report-says/
not surprising with how some of these freaks drive. one overtook me in the 50mph near midland acres and couldnt make it in front of me because of an on-coming vehicle, instead of slowing down and slotting in behind me, this driver chose to go to the OPPOSITE SHOULDER to get around both me and the on-coming vehicle. absolutely insane, the common denominator is that they all come from that other island 300 miles away that starts with a J…..
The standard of driving from one particular country is lawless a bit like their……..you know what you know the rest
If only we had some enforcement. If only being guilty of a DUI meant you got deported. It only we had traffic officers all over the place.
If only.
The deaths on our roads will continue until eventually the roads are safe because we are all dead. Simple.
And these are just the reported accidents. I’ve been hit once in each of the last 3 years (been driving here 30+ years & never had an accident that’s my fault). I didn’t report these to the police as they were ‘fender benders’ & thankfully the other driver accepted responsibility & had insurance.
Everyday I have to take evasive action to avoid careless (drunk?) drivers, speeding drivers, drivers cutting lanes/pulling out without stopping/running red lights/ going in the wrong lane around roundabouts etc etc.
How many were ticketed or charged with dangerous driving each month?
The police need to stop these drivers & ticket them. Of course that also means the police have to stop doing these ‘driving without due care & attention/dangerous driving manoeuvres’ themselves.
Time to employ some Canadian and UK traffic cops dedicated to nothing but catching the imbeciles who use Cayman’s roads. No mercy, no bly, no corruption. And backed up properly by the courts…….and then I woke up smelt the Colombian
Where were the drivers responsible for the smashes first qualified to drive? Statistics please RCIP. Then we can make a sound determination as to whether we should continue to accept certain foreign driving qualifications. The UK has made its choices as to suitable licenses. Shouldn’t we?
Speed and idiot drivers with no worries of getting a ticket.
The police need to be visible and ACTUALLY pull over cars that don’t use their indicators, that speed past them, that have a crew full of people in the bed of their pickups, that tow unsecure loads. Lawlessness leads to people feeling they can get away with anything and for the most part they are correct. We are approaching the lovely Christmas breezes and cool weather, which will of course bring out the police traps with their guns, I’ve already seen it. AND typically, this type of policing out of their air conditioned vehicles ONLY happens at this time of year. Once it’s hot and humid again, they disappear. It’s like clockwork. Shameful really!
No police presence on the road that’s why.
The public urges the RCIPS to start delivering a traffic deterrence. Put Andre Tahal on notice. Let’s see his weekly performance stats – the actual stand-alone deterrence ticket count for those not written after a serious incident. Can’t be many. Traffic officers in big North American cities write over 50 tickets per shift, each.