Police log 88 crashes across first week of Winter Guardian
(CNS): The situation on Cayman’s roads, got worse at the weekend and closed out the first full week of Operation Winter Guardian, the RCIPS’ season anti-crime and road safety campaign, with a total 88 collisions recorded by police in seven days, including 27 just this weekend. Police also arrested 13 drunk drivers over the first seven days. With the community increasingly concerned about the standards of driving and the growing danger of local roads police said they stopped and checked around 290 vehicles were stopped and checked across the island this weekend.
Since the operation began on 16 December, 70 people have been prosecuted for various traffic offenses, including 10 for using a mobile phone while driving. Members of the public should expect additional vehicle checkpoints this week, as the RCIPS continues to encourage the public to practice safe driving.
“As we enter Christmas week, we would like to emphasise the importance of personal responsibility for all road users,” said Chief Superintendent Brad Ebanks. “It’s your responsibility to plan ahead, whether you are attending a Christmas party or otherwise going out for a drink, to ensure that you are not drinking and driving. We have extra officers on the roads who are focusing on persons driving under the influence, speeding, or engaging in other dangerous driving practices. If you want to avoid being prosecuted over the holidays, you should take the necessary measures to avoid driving under the influence, and thus minimise the risks to you and others using the roadways,” he added.
However it appears that calls from police for people to take more care on the roads continues to fall on deaf ears. The weekly crash rate recently which was running at around an average of 60 plus crahses per week throughout the year climbed as high as 94 in November and it appears to be showing no sign of a decline as the number of cars on the roads increases.
There are also major concerns that many people are driving without valid licenses.
Meanwhile the death too this year on the roads has climbed to twelve with many more sustaining serious injuries in what is likely to turn out to be the worst year in Cayman’s history for the number of collisions and the level of serious injury.
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Category: Local News
Drivers licenses are too easy and too cheap to get, same goes for inspections and vehicles licenses. Been the same prices for 20 + years.
I drive from North Side to George Town and back, Monday thru Friday and hardly ever see a police car on patrol.
I saw many police cruisers on the roads during the holiday week, but the driving on the roads were the worst in my many, many years of visits. The speeding, the overtaking, the weaving in and out, cutting people off was insane. Made me question if I would rent a car next trip as it is JUST that dangerous, imo. Saw many ambulances on the road this trip, too.
Condolences to the family. Why do we have to keep bar rooms opened beyond 1:00 am? To me this is just asking for trouble all the time.
The 2024 Christmas day carnage will go down in history as one of the worst traffic days ever. Yesterday made it clear that selfish, irresponsible and reckless drivers are a dangerous threat to society now.
It’s high time to begin aggressive enforcement, impoundment of vehicles and levy heavy fines or imprisonment for these offenders.
Anyone found guilty of causing accidents must be punished. No exceptions.
Yes. Change the legislation so that police can impound vehicles that are not insured, not registered, being driven by an unlicensed driver or being driven in a dangerous or reckless manner.
If that person doesn’t have a vehicle, they can’t do it a 2nd time and Cayman will be all the safer for it!
Police need to stop and check all this first! When’s the last time you’ve seen them stop cars and check their papers????
The law doesn’t need reform, police already have the authority to do what you suggest ….
Oh but there are exceptions, therein lies the problem.
what about JonJon ?
Roads are getting better, drivers are getting worse. Who are these bad drivers I wonder? It seems they were brought up to be totally apathetic and to worship no rules or laws.
One silver lining to the story is the # of cars on the road going down …
Here’s my observations.
The absolute cluster by Foster’s Airport. How many times do I see double parked vehicles outside Reflections? pretty much every time, day or night, early or late. How many have I seen ticketed? none, ever!
Cars and commercial vehicles with no plates, I’m talking front and back. You see so many, that the ones missing plates on the front don’t even register.
Cars lit up like a rainbow, with all colors front, back, and underneath. Constantly on the roads.
At least 25% of vehicles I see have people with no seatbelts on, and/or kids loose.
Vehicles with one or multiple lights out? every journey.
Dickheads holding phones to their mouth, or just chatting away deep in conversation? Every time I go out.
These are all tip of the iceberg things. RCIPS need to understand that they have lost any semblance of authority on the roads with so many flagrant issues.
The above is part of the reason for the carnage. Then there’s the road designs, the driver ‘training’, the public transportation, the DVDL as a whole… it’s easy to fix, but there seems to be no real will to do so.
Ah well, good luck everyone!
Caymans driving test is a joke simples.
Wear a short skirt, guarantee a driving test pass. ( yes I’ve heard the stories)
Unfortunately it’s going to get a lot worse and no one will do a damn thing. Sorry
A test means nothing to those with no license, insurance or safe vehicle just like it does with licensed and insured drivers in safe vehicles.
The majority of drivers simply DGAF because of the weak enforcement.
Does it matter what the test is, or what driver is wearing when their “friends”let them drive home at over twice or three times the legal limit?
The appeals have been going on for donkey’s years, but the driving habits don’t improve… and in many ways they get worse.
The other reason it won’t improve is because we have a lot more people now and a lot more cars… so many more road users overall.
That just means more people who are potentially causing problems.
Since a certain percentage of the drivers aren’t listening to appeals the only way is continuous enforcement… 24 hours a day, 52 weeks a year.
Arrive alive in ’25!
Anybody crash in to a stationary light pole or an excavator and not get breathalyzed? Hands up everyone.
An extraordinary general meeting of excavators should be held to discuss their protection and concerns about vehicles driven by politicians. Cayman needs all excavators to help in repairing our dysfunctional and incomplete roads. The meeting should be held outside the post office as this area clearly demonstrates the power of their trade. May I suggest that politicians are invited follow a sobriety test.
Members of the public should be invited to air their complaints against excavators operating without a sign saying “excavator”.
Oops
Didn’t sign the pledge presumably.
I hope they start ticketing people for blocking side walks and even parking on top of the side walk….I see this in Tropical Gardens every day..Police need to do more drive through Tropical Gardens
Ah yes, Ocean Crest, where they converted their garages in to apartments for rent so now have no parking available.
#gotplanningpermissionforthat
Bet their home insurers don’t know that they are using their homes as duplexes and bet if someone dies or is injured in these garage apartments, an attorney will pounce upon them.
And at Reflections across from Fosters Airport. They park on the side walk and in the road to go this store.
And parking on double yellows at Bacaddere Beach.
Key word being log, not prevent. Nary a patrol car to be seen on the frontstretch of Silverstone, aka, the Esterly Tibbetts. Numbskulls on dirt bikes racing through neighborhoods unchecked. The speeding, tailgating, not indicating, illegal lighting, illegal window tinting, texting while driving, DUI, and the general assholery will continue until morale improves.
Yes, window tinting is legal in the Cayman Islands, but there are regulations that must be followed:
Front windows: Must allow at least 35% of light to pass through
Rear windows: Can be tinted up to 15%
Windshield: A strip of tint up to six inches wide can be placed at the top of the windshield
Medical reasons: A letter from a registered medical practitioner is required if the tint is applied for medical reasons
Approved tint letter: Costs CI $75
Penalties: Violators can be fined up to $500 and imprisoned for up to six months
Manitoba Tint Laws Explained – Canada Tint Laws
The Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing (DVDL) inspects vehicles annually and removes excessively dark tint. Some people illegally replace the tint after passing inspection.
Dark tint can be a safety hazard because it can make it difficult to see pedestrians or cyclists
Or $100 to the vehicle inspector, allegedly.
88 collisions and 70 people ticketd.
That shows the problem. Increase the amount of ticketed drivers and collisions will go down.
THey need more officers put into the traffic department. If all the officers are doing is going to accident after accident, they dont have time to do speed checks and the like.
They need a dedicated team that only does enforcement and another that deals with the collisions.
18 members of parliament most likely.
This is not tricky: End the taxi cartel. Introduce a proper driving test. Confiscate any vehicle driven whilst drunk or without insurance. Send people to prison for driving whilst disqualified. Breathalyse people leaving bars and restaurants…
Driving drunk because you can’t plan ahead or reserve the cab fare is assholery.
Telling the public to “drive better” and not “drink and drive” Is not gonna do shit! You need to enforce the laws better and get more police officers driving around and pulling over people. Maybe you need some stronger laws in place too! I have also realized over the years that many of these Japanese vehicles that people drive end up killing the driver because of how unsafe they are. We need vehicle safety standards implemented as soon as possible to stop this foolishness! It was introduced in the 2024 Traffic Act Amendment bill but never mentioned vehicle standards in the sitting where they talked about the bill.
End the taxi cartel. Allow Caymanians to ride Uber and Lyft. have the government subsidize their commercial insurance for those that qualify.
Penalties are not the answer. Let’s be proactive in giving people affordable alternatives.
Bento and Let’s Eat just need to add rides to their menus.
When the civilized world is introducing autonomous taxis, Grand Cayman is discussing authorizing Uber and Lyft. Tell me you are 20 years behind without telling me.
Island:Go https://www.islandgo.app/ is operational in Cayman. I have used a couple times, both on busy Friday nights. I still use taxis for airport transfers.
Island:Go is flex pricing (similar to Uber) so you pay more when there is more demand. So not cheaper during peak times based on my two times.
(Not sure Uber/Lyft are prevented from setting up here actually. It might be that the costs of setting up in such a small place are not worth it.)
Yeah, enjoy that surge pricing algo on the 4 drivers running after midnight. A 20 mile Uber or Lyft isn’t any cheaper in major cities than what is already operating here. Get some driver details if you’re an alcoholic, and budget for the ride home so nobody dies.