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
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
Anybody crash in to a stationary light pole or an excavator and not get breathalyzed? Hands up everyone.
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
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.
88 collisions and 70 people ticketd.
That shows the problem. Increase the amount of ticketed drivers and collisions will go down.
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…
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.