Road smashes continue in spite of seasonal crackdown
(CNS): Two drivers were taken to hospital on Friday morning after a major collision close to the roundabout by the Lion’s Centre in the latest road crash in a year that is turning out to be one of the most dangerous on record in Cayman. Neither of the men were seriously injured but the collision between a Range Rover and a Jaguar was of such impact that the Range-Rover overturned. Police are investigating the accident that happened on day three of the seasonal crack down on the roads.
Thirteen people have already lost their lives on the roads this year, and although the year-end figures have not yet been confirmed, there have been almost 1,000 crashes across the Cayman Islands so far in 2015.
This week the police will be carrying out regular road blocks and pressing home the message to drivers not to drink and drive or speed – the two major causes of local crashes — and to pay attention to road safety by wearing seat belts and not using phones behind the wheel.
Category: Local News, Police
Part of the problem is that people confuse courteous driving with good driving. You cannot treat roundabouts as a 4-way stop, you cannot come to a complete halt on a main road to let an aggressive driver out of a side road, you cannot change lanes on a roundabout, you cannot go 3/4 of the way around a roundabout in the left hand lane, you cannot cut through the bush to by-pass a junction and then expect traffic who have followed the rules to let you back in.
Cayman’s roads are just too busy for that.
If we all followed the rules of the road we would alleviate so many of the problems.
At risk of being called xenophobic or “furriner-hater” I would like to suggest that Caymanians are the most courteous drivers on our roads. Try giving a driver from a certain Caribbean neighbour country a courtesy on the road (i.e. giving them a break in traffic) and you will not get a wave or any other gesture of thanks (they are usually identifiable). I’ve noticed the same with many drivers from an Asian island nation. Many drivers continue to drive in Cayman like they do on roads in their own countries – evident by the way that many big trucks and many taxi /omnibuses are driven – just pay attention to who is behind the wheel. Many drivers have perhaps only ever ridden scooters in their own countries.
However, notwithstanding the above, it’s Caymanian driving inspectors who test these people and recommend that they obtain local licenses, Caymanians usually design our roads – with all their many design flaws, Caymanians head the NRA which is supposed to upkeep these poorly-maintained roads.
As to young people driving crazy or idiots driving under the influence, we are no different from any other other place in the world – there are more than “our share” on our roads.
So for all those real haters who will spout “Caymankind” type comments, please get real and acknowledge the above.
I’d be interested to know if the ban on the in-car use of cell phones has reduced the accident rate. I think drivers text now with the phone held low to avoid detection, which just makes the problem worse. I often see drivers going slow with their eyes cast down to their knees, accidents waiting to happen.
Cayman Road Etiquette –
“After me”,
“No, no, after me”,
“No, I insist, after me”
“Look, you were here, first, so it must be after me”
CRASH!!
I watched the video on road safety and thought it was excellent. I wish the RCIP would develop a video on gangs and another one on drugs and start showing them in the schools and community programs. Real people telliing the facts, the bloody scenes and wrecked cars…the pieces from the family members…excellent video. Job well done!
Crackdown! Ooooooohhhhh!