Road safety committee repeats appeal to drivers
(CNS): Although repeated calls by the National Road Safety Committee for better driving have apparently fallen on deaf ears, the NRSC has made another urgent appeal to the motoring public to take more care following a sharp increase in traffic collisions. Police recently revealed that crashes spiked to an average of 94 per week over the last few weeks at the end of a year that has seen 11 people killed on the road, three of them in the last month.
Over the last four weeks, a cyclist, a pedestrian and a driver in a single-vehicle collision have all been killed. Recent data indicates that excessive speed and impaired driving are the leading causes of the serious smashes that appear to be an everyday part of life now on the country’s overcrowded roads. About 70% of collisions are happening in Grand Cayman’s busiest traffic areas, such as the West Bay, North Sound and Shamrock roads, as well as the increasingly notorious Esterley Tibbetts Highway.
Chief Officer Eric Bush, who chairs the NRSC, said the alarming rise in road traffic accidents and fatalities demands immediate and collective action.
“Every collision has consequences that ripple through families, communities, and our nation. The alarming rise in road traffic accidents and fatalities demands immediate and collective action. Every collision has consequences that ripple through families, communities, and our nation,” he said, though the continued pleas appear to be having no effect at all as crashes are increasing.
“Reckless driving endangers lives and fractures families,” Bush stated. ‘We cannot stand by as this trend worsens. I am appealing to every resident across our Islands to take the ‘Road to Zero’ pledge. This is not merely a campaign slogan; it is a commitment to creating a culture of road safety. Let us work together to protect our loved ones and ensure our roads are safe for all. This is a problem we can solve — if we act as one.”
The committee is once again asking motorists not to drive impaired and to have a plan to get home safely after consuming alcohol. They are also asked to obey speed limits, as excessive speed endangers not only them but everyone around them, and they are asked to avoid distractions such as mobile phones and focus on the road.
Members of the public can report unsafe driving to police, who are also calling for dashcam footage, as community vigilance is key to addressing the reckless behaviour.
The NRSC said that the festive season brings increased activity on the roads, with more vehicles, celebrations, and distractions. This makes the need for vigilance even more critical. Drivers are reminded that failing to exercise care has far-reaching consequences. Accidents not only result in physical harm but also emotional and financial burdens on families and communities.
Meanwhile, the government steered two pieces of legislation through second readings in parliament on Wednesday that it hopes may improve some aspects of road safety among other elements. The Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Public Transport Bill, 2024 will pave the way for improving public transport and management of bus and taxi drivers, among other issues. It will increase bus routes and add cameras and GPS to all public transport.
Check back to CNS later this week for more details on those new laws.
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Category: Crime, Local News, Police
The NRA Board have a new chairman again. Was there an official announcement?
So many of the problems on the roads could be fixed by proper police enforcement. It would not take long to identify and punish the drivers that break the laws. Once you remove them from the road, the safety will increase exponentially.
Why don’t we have statistics available to help narrow the issue of why we are having so much accidents?
Age, Gender, Nationality, how long you have the license, where you got the license, Location of the accident and probable cause of the accident?
I work on the road and see accidents daily. Most times it is a bumper to bumper issue. Usually caused by someone on the phone or wrong timing getting on or off the roundabouts. Speeding is also an issue.
RCIPS can also do a better job of being visible. when school opened this year, traffic was excellent at the Savannah School merger lane just by having them there.
It’s noticeable that the “National Roads Safety Committee” doesn’t make any requests of the RCIPS to step up and perform their sworn duties we already pay them full-time to do, or of the NDC to make any kind of measurable impact on inter-seasonal DUI messaging, or of the PTU to ensure there are both taxis and competent drivers after midnight, or of CITA and Chamber on alcohol training and ethical standards for continuing service to those customers who are visibly and audibly well past inebriation and can’t stop. We don’t hear them asking for drug driving test kits, or accompanying legislation. Cayman only has a handful of working first responding ambulances, and scant police on shift after midnight to save those that seek the final limits. It’s not just the over-served public with a role to play in the preservation of life and safety on our roads. There are a lot of other services and people that we pay handsomely for and rely upon to protect the innocent public from the dangerous few that can’t or won’t help themselves. That smaller category really needs these profession-based intervention assistances to shake them awake and to seek help to turn their life around, before they kill themselves, and/or others.
Drug driving test kits would shock ganja smokers!!
Just do it
FYI RCIPS. Sitting on the Linford in the mornings with all your lights flashing, whilst sitting inside the car, facing the wrong direction, and looking at your phone, is not effective policing.
So your great success this morning was people didn’t speed on the first stretch, then hit the second stretch like crazed demons. DO YOUR JOB!
I know a kid got his license after one lesson. One. DVDL test is a joke.
The Cayman license is a joke. You give it to anyone. It’s completely meaningless. Might as well just forget it and say anyone can drive. Nothing will change.
The orange cones are blinding me. Often times I am confused and end up in the wrong lane. Everyday it’s like more cones are been added. And who design these roads. Have any one ever assess the roads in Cayman. For years the CNB round about and the round about close to AL Thompson has been a sore point. Maybe the drivers are not to be entirely blamed.
You should not be driving if you are getting blinded by orange cones or can’t navigate ALT and CNB round abouts. Sounds like you drive 30mph in a 40mph zone.
I shows how well driving is doing in Cayman when u can flip a car on a straight road.
Speeding, and reckless and distracted driving are the root issues here, compounded with weak and ineffective enforcement of traffic laws and roadworthiness of vehicles for years is embedded in the culture.
Nothing will change. Pass the rum.
the speeding and reckless driving is a direct result of the weak and ineffective enforcement.
How can there be enforcement of the law if the people that are suppoosed to enforce the law come from a lawless society? Once we get rid of the vast majority of jamaican police and replace them with UK/Canada cops, we will see the recklessness on the road begin to stop.
The RCIPS do not appear to have any supervisory performance criteria. We don’t need ticket quotas, we need “how did you spend your day” time audits of the constabulary. Dominos tournaments, and even on-the-job drinking should be termination events for value for money. Over 400+ full-time officers, sworn to duty.
will keep asking:
my dashcam records hundred of incidents of dangerous driving every week.
why do rcips not want or request people to submit this footage?
CNS Note: To be fair for several months now the police have been asking for dash-cam footage. This is mentioned in the article above and in previous pieces posted on CNS. The footage can be submitted via the RCIPS website.
They DO want it. But how do they know you have it if you don’t tell them?
Quit anonymously posting about it on CNS and get off your duff and submit your footage to the cops if you are so passionate about your amazing dash cam footage!
op here…thank you cns.
You’ve been saying the exact same thing for multiple years now. Why do I have this funny feeling you’re one of those drivers who sits at 37 mph in the right lane and never moves over.
The appeal needs to be to the police to do their damn job!
Stop.Making.Sense.
It all starts with the lack of policing on the roads. Turn off your blue lights and do some work for a change. Map out the trouble spots and enforce the laws. Didn’t our new COP pop off about intelligence lead policing? We seem to be missing both the intelligence and the policing?
No it doesn’t. it all starts with accepting licenses from Jamaica, Philippines and India and a local test that is a complete joke. There’s next to zero road policing in the UK and they have 1/10th the number of accidents we do.
Yes. The blue lights at night tell the bad actors from miles away that the RCIPS is coming.
Get more traffic police on the road.
Oh no! They can’t drive for sh*t, themselves!
Get some UK, Aussie, or Canadian trained officers, for the sake of our sanity, or at least train the current bunch up to be more than the usual speed detection units on the most predictable stretches of road.
Imagine if drivers also had to deal with ice on the roads, all drivers on the island would be in a world of hurt.
Everyone just needs to slow down, the island is not that big doesn’t take long to get from one end to the other.
a by-product of rcips not enforcing basic rules of the road.
free simple solutions to terrible driving standards:
1.bring in private run traffic police(regulated and monitored) who are funded by fines.
cig will makes 10x times as much on fines.
police can then do real work or we can reduce their numbers.
win-win-win.
2. as per the uk, do not accept jamaican driving license
3. if you cause an accident or get charged with careless driving , you must automatically re-sit driving test
Let’s make it very simple to start. RCIP traffic unit, when you see a traffic violation turn on your flashing lights and write a ticket.
Again I write from experience in the public transportation field as a bus/tour driver. First you need to put older people who are caymanians who don’t have to race to prove something? Also a driver who will let people know that inching in to a lane is illegal without using a turn signal. Only use large buses like a Toyota coaster. Forbid jump seats in public busses. Busses going east must make the turnaround by Royal Wyndham to return to GT. The busses must leave on time.
There isn’t enough customers to run all day and into the night unless Government will subside the route. School busses get CI$5000 per month for one trip to school and back.
As a former bus driver you should know that the normal plural form of Bus is Buses 🙂
Road to zero IQ, more like.
“It’s not just a slogan”. Errr it is exactly that.
Our roads are full. A sizeable percentage of drivers are ignorant, aggressive, and plainly unable to drive a motor vehicle with any sense of skill or responsibility.
The vehicles themselves, where to start? in just two days, I’ve counted at least 6 cars with zero brake lights. As for others with one out, or other lights not working, we all use the roads and see for ourself just how badly maintained other cars are. If they can’t replace a bulb, imagine the state of the tyres, brakes, exhaust etc.
The only way to fix it, is with money spent on education to younger people who are soon to be driving, fixing the joke of a test we have, not accepting licenses from countries with terrible accident stats, having professionally run bus companies with actual buses, updating the traffic laws, and having RCIPS actually enforce the laws. That’s it. A slogan, praying, hoping, or wishing, isn’t cutting it.
These people need to just disband.
Appeals never work. Or draconian fines and a license suspension, for a long time, OR make it impossible to speed by re-designing the roads. Accident-proof the roads. Unfortunately 95% don’t even understand what I am talking about.
“Or draconian” and “accident-proof the roads”, with blurts like that, do you even understand what you’re talking about? It might be 100%
Take away licenses and inpound vehicles.
How to bus or taxi in Cayman.
1. Acquire Japanese van
2. Put on wheels that don’t fit within the arches
3. Add decals of some passage from the Bible
4. Add some LED lights in and out
5. Switch on high beams and foglights
6. Only lights you don’t use are the indicators
7. Drive in the right lane at all opportunities
8. Always drive too close to the vehicle in front, and keep your foot on the gas at all other times
9. Congratulations, you’re now ready to taxi and bus
please add – only stop in pedestrian crosswalks
Plus spend more time learning how to play a video game than on professional driving
10.18am You forgot be born in JA.
Proportionally, are the Traffic Accident and Fatality statistics significantly out of line for the Cayman Islands when compared with the US or UK or anywhere else? Not excusing, just be interested to learn as it does seem that we have an astonishing volume of accidents for such a small number of drivers.
As to fixing the problem – here’s one i bet nobody has ever suggested before: protest Taxi’s. If we all agreed to not use one single Taxi, for months if not ever again, we’ll have UBER in here before you know it. It is scandalous that UBER/LYFT/etc are not here and there is no equivalent here currently (what is here is priced Cayman style, gouging). Taxi’s still exist where UBER exists, and Taxi’s in Cayman have a better chance of remaining viable as the drivers can build relationships and service, unlike in larger metropolitan areas.
Its arguable that the Taxi cartel has blood on its hands with its actions preventing UBER properly operating here.
Reducing speed limits; going to zero on DUI levels; banning single occupancy; speed cameras; etc – all nice in theory, but people are people.
Either ban automobiles outright. Period. Or be sensible, bring in Uber at non-cayman gouging pricing, and at the same time go zero tolerance on DUI (Immediate ban for 10 years) and the drink driving ends overnight.
The US runs a little over 12 annual automobile fatalities per 100k population. Assuming Cayman comes in at 11 total for the year, that would be a rate of just under 16 per 100k.
There is a list by country on Wikipedia. Notable comparisons are 15.1 for Jamaica, 2.9 for the UK, 27.5 for the Dominican Republic, 9.3 for Trinidad and Tobago.
Ban single occupancy..?
Yes. Cayman is terrible compared to the UK and Europe. 10 times worse per mile driven. The US is also bad, their test is a joke too.
‘Proportionally, are the Traffic Accident and Fatality statistics significantly out of line for the Cayman Islands when compared with the US or UK or anywhere else?’ Coming from a large rural county in the UK with mostly nasty tight, country back roads and one of highest proportion of elderly driver in the UK I’m comfortable to say that stats like this would result in a public outcry!
The difference is that, even with fairly limited traffic enforcement, the locals don’t see the need to drive round like the lunatics we see here!
Imagine if we had a CCTV network installed, a massive Police budget and 50% more officers per capita than London. Oh wait how about very expensive RFID license plates.
If only we had these things in place I bet the RCIPS could really get a handle on the driving problems.
Get rid of the Jamaican police who always let their “brethren” off.
Too late 1:31pm. The rotten corrupted culture has already taken over.
Actually, what we need are two expensive helicopters that can’t cuff anyone or write any tickets. We’ll just hover over residential at 500 feet. That’ll fix everything.
Sort. Out. The. Ripoff. Taxi. Cartel.
Traffic police learn to drive better yourselves, and do your job! Every day, all day! That alone will reduce the traffic chaos.
one traffic cop i spoke with didn’t know that the right lane was for passing traffic and they should then move to the left. What hope do we have?
I agree. rcips driving is absolutely woeful, except the FRU Tahoe, they can drive. Only the ther day an rcips car turned left on me at the roundabout north of the Kimpton… from the right hand lane. they couldn’t even pass a basic UK test.
‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results’…albert enistein.
Mr. Enistein seems a wise man, though I’ve never heard of him before.
Oh great, another pledge. That ALWAYS works. We are fed up with the RCIPS. When all of us see the reckless driving on the roads everyday where are any cops? We need enforcement on the roads now and at all hours of the day. Flood the roads and make it a priority please!
Everyone should email Andre the head of the Traffic and Roads Policing Unit to tell him he is doing a horrible job at keeping our families safe on the roads.
Andre.Tahal@rcips.ky
Mr Bush, you’re completely missing the mindset operandi, its only a problem/accident when I hit someone…
Occam’s razor. The simplest solution is the best one.
First, cameras on all main roads (including average speed cameras, traffic light cameras). This will reduce workload from RCIPS traffic department as the cameras will catch speeders, running traffic lights, (and some) mobile phone use in cars.
Second, more vigilant enforcement of DUI and use of mobile phones at the wheel by RCIPS.
Third, a radical public campaign (horrible, scary, stories of real people killed by motorist) that can make the public shift norms so it is no longer socially acceptable to drink at all and then drive.
Simple. Let’s get it done, CO Bush (if your elected bosses allow you to)
Agreed! More diligent and visible enforcement would be a good place to start.
We desperately need a modern public transport system to ease road congestion, give people a practical alternative to driving and reduce our carbon footprint. Government have been asleep at the wheel (pardon the pun) on this one.
Stricter punishments for non-insured, banned etc. drivers.
Re-education/re-testing of drivers involved in serious accidents.
A Christmas period bus service provided by government running from west bay to savannah to allow party goers to get home given the restricted number of taxis at midnight.
COBush…if you can be bothered.
yep, that last one is really essential, if a little brutal. I remember at school we were shown videos of accidents people not wearing seat belts in the back, using phones etc; no holds barred and it really had a major impact and created a stigma around it. kids these days on these islands are in a bubble and it really starts with them.
There is definitely something different about the driving these days. It is almost like most people are either asleep at the wheel or they are attempting to use their vehicles to release their anger and frustrations. I am especially concerned about the people that drive Honda Fit vehicles as I often see those vehicles being driven in a reckless manner.
It’s because there’s so many of them, so there’s also more idiots driving them.
It’s mostly those with crappy rental company stickers on. Zero accountability, and a high liklihood of the driver being not the person who rented it. If I was RCIPS, I’d pull over every single one for any little infraction.
Plenty new Kia suvs and the like driving like their hair on fire 24/7.
That black Tesla dumpster truck seems to be racing like Fernando Alonso daily on the Esterly Tibbetts and getting away with it.
No enforcement for years has consequences.
The real issue here will be probably left unaddressed: we give equivalence to drivers without even a theory examination for all vehicles when we KNOW that selfsame driver’s licenses can be bought for a few hundred USDs !
We also sport ministers whose ability to drive shall be questioned given their propensity to collide with stationary objects and walk away without being asked a blood sample or be subjected to breath analysis.
Thirdly the bus drivers on island drive very very dangerously (excessive speed In roundabouts, no lights turned on , music blasting , tires that haven’t been changed since Covid , and private company buses aren’t any better !
Every instance of DUI should be considered cause for systematic suspension of Driver’s license and if having caused harm cause for work permit suspension until the investigation is concluded.
Our dear RCIPS should also stop enforcing the law and regulations selectively when it comes to Politically Exposed Persons and from our easterly Caribbean nation , any instance of favoritism should be investigated on a “will” basis and not on a “shall” basis especially if the officer and traffic offender come from the same country !
Lastly police vehicles shall be systematically equipped with both front and back cameras both with a sound recorder , making the footage available to the courts and if such information isn’t available the officer should have its testimony reviewed or revoked as invalid.
Until all of the above isn’t clearly stated , the fatality rate on our roads will not abate I am afraid, putting yourself behind the driver’s wheel on island past sundown should not be a gamble with one’s own life or the lives of others at stake!
But hey I am just a janitor !
Personal responsibility, of course.
But what blood does our government have on their hands by allowing every transportation option that’s not a taxi, whose exorbitant pricing and licensing is controlled by a cartel that doesn’t seem to realize that an inebriated person would rather drive home than spend half of what they made that day on a ride home?
Legalize Uber and Lyft, setting standards that allow any Caymanian with a clean driving/police record and proper insurance to drive. Maybe locals that have more options for
a safe ride out would spend more money out on a regular basis knowing they had a reasonably priced safe ride home. Maybe we wouldn’t leave so many tourists stranded after midnight listening to a ringing telephone when dialing 7s and 8s.
And what’s to say of our day to day public transportation system with no proper schedule? How much has government paid for so many consultants to point us in the right direction to take no action?
Government and the private sector cart out purple ribbons on New Year’s Eve and pat themselves on the back to go back to the other 364 days of the year to make no progress in making our roads actually safer.
Another day in wonderland.
That committee is a damn joke. Everyone knows who the reckless culprits are and that they are being protected by their own people (not Caymanians) who are supposed to be policing our roads! Visit the country that they come from and you will observe the same reckless, speeding craziness! Nuff said.
Stop laying blame at all Jamaicans and know that all nationalities are reckless drivers here.
Plenty non-flourescent shirt drivers on the roads operating vehicles like maniacs.
Traffic cameras Eric? Is that what we need?
How about a new license plate system so we can effectively monitor cars?
We should outsource more stuff to private security companies too. Right?
Take the pledge!
Wasn’t it COBush and a couple of his Lodge buddies that sold CIG the ineffectual traffic cameras in the first place?
Every day I see drivers on their phones while driving. It’s time the RCIPS cracked down on this . distracted driving, drunk driving and bad roundabout driving are the biggest problems and need the most attention.
3 drivers on their phones yesterday between lobster pot and traffic lights at Kirks! that’s only about 20 cars! Probably one was leaving a message here about bad driving.
LOL. How’s that pledge working out Eric? Almost as good as the CCTV by the looks of things 🤣🤣🤣