Driving in Cayman
Road Safety Advocate writes: Being a road user in the Cayman Islands is becoming an increasingly dangerous activity. When I say “road user”, I am not just referring to drivers — I mean pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, scooter riders and electric bike users too.
Far too many tragic deaths have left families shattered, particularly in 2024. While it’s easy to place blame on individuals or circumstances, I believe we need to collectively examine the root causes of these incidents. There are several areas that demand urgent attention if we are to reduce road fatalities.
Flashy advertisements from the RCIPS and NRA won’t solve the problem; here’s what needs to be addressed:
- Road Design and Signage
The layout of our roads and roundabouts is deeply flawed. The NRA frequently installs bollards to curb overtaking and improper lane usage, but this only patches the problem. Poorly designed roads often contribute to accidents. For example, how often have you driven on a road only to encounter a sudden narrowing without adequate warning? While we have electronic billboards displaying flashy slogans from our favourite King of the Billboard, there’s a lack of clear, real-time information about road closures or changes to the road usage. Additionally, many roundabouts are simply too narrow to function effectively.
- Left-Hand Drive Vehicles
Due to our proximity to the US, many vehicles here are left-hand drive. However, this creates significant blind spots as we drive on the left-hand side of the road. In the US, left-hand drive vehicles are appropriate because they drive on the right side of the road. The mismatch here puts drivers at a disadvantage. While controversial, restricting future imports of left-hand drive vehicles could address some of the issues contributing to accidents.
- User Behaviour and Responsibility
Unsafe practices are widespread and not limited to any single group. Drivers frequently overtake on the left, misuse turning lanes, and ignore solid white and double yellow lines. Many fail to choose the correct lanes on roundabouts or change lanes mid-turn. Cyclists often ride against traffic instead of with it, and pedestrians walk with traffic rather than against it.
Being a road user comes with responsibility — not just for our safety but for others too. That means obeying the laws, not drinking and driving, and showing kindness on the road.
- Enforcement of Traffic Laws
Law enforcement on our roads appears alarmingly absent. Police presence is rare, and violations — such as overtaking on the left, driving without functioning lights, or using vehicles in unroadworthy conditions — go unchecked. For example, I regularly see vehicles with broken brake lights or orange plates on the roads. These infractions have penalties, but they’re rarely enforced.
Police should be more visible on busy routes like Seven Mile Road and at roundabouts, ensuring that turning lanes are not misused for overtaking. Regular speed traps and stricter law enforcement would act as a deterrent and promote safer road use. I can count on one hand the frequency I saw police vehicles during Operation Winter Guardian.
As you can see, improving road safety requires action from all road users —drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, policymakers, and law enforcement. Let us demand better from ourselves and the institutions responsible for ensuring safety on our roads.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Category: Viewpoint
Number 4 is lacking immensely! Maybe if officers would just do their jobs instead of hanging out for a paycheck, drivers would respect laws of the roadways.
Many good points, but leave the left hand drive cars out of the line of fire. Such a car in the hands of a prudent driver is much safer than a RHD in the hands of a construction worker who is late to his next jobsite.
1 and 2 are absolute nonsense. If you cannot use our excellent roads or drive a LHD car safely then I strongly suspect you are part of the problem.
It is notable that you don’t mention our pathetically simple test which, IMO is the route cause of our poor driving. Many of our drivers, including Police drivers, could not pass the most basic European test. They are not safe driving at any speed. It should be noted that European roads are for the most part worse then ours, have higher speed limits, worse weather and 1/10th of the accident rate.
Wholeheartedly agree and it is the most glaring evidence of government incompetence that successive governments have done very little about except building more and more roads.
Advice to the next government, whoever you are. Appear competent and effective by fixing the one thing that every voter interacts with every single day. Or, as previous governments have done, maintain the status quo as a prominent testament to your total ineptitude and pray you have no decent competition in the next election. It is fairly safe bet to be fair.
Wearing dark clothes, walking along a dimly lit road, with back to oncoming traffic is so incredibly stupid and should be a ticketable offense.
I’ll stop overtaking on the left when Auntie Teedee stops driving 34 mph on the right.
Make LPH and ETH great (a 50 mph zone).