CAYMAN DRIVING RATED “ABSOLUTELY HORRIFIC”

Cayman is plagued by a litany of regularly recurring traffic violations, many with serious, even fatal consequences.

The correlation between ‘horrific driving’, traffic accidents, the number of cars on the roads, and the limited road space on Cayman was laid bare by Police Commissioner Kurt Walton during a press conference reviewing the 2024 Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) Annual 2024 Crime and Traffic Statistics Report.

He characterised driving standards in Cayman as “abject...absolutely horrific.”

“They’ve qualified in the sense that they’ve gone and sat and passed a roadside test, and I’m sure they’ve done what they had to do at the time.” However, the Commissioner noted that does not normally translate into proper and safe driving practices. “Whether or not they are capable and qualified drivers, I would say absolutely not,” he declared, pointing to a raft of poor driving practices observed regularly by his officers or otherwise reported.

The Commissioner listed changing lanes or overtaking but not using indicators properly, failing to maintain a safe distance from other vehicles in traffic, not driving in awareness of road and weather conditions, and generally just not complying with traffic regulations.

The statistics are stark with numerous examples of inconsiderate driving. When alcohol is introduced to the picture, the situation becomes even more dangerous sometimes with fatal consequences. “Our finding is that DUI (driving under the influence) in particular is really the cause of most of our cases, Commissioner Walton pointed out.” 14 people were killed in traffic accidents in 2024 and there was an average of 62 collisions per week on Cayman’s often gridlocked roadways.

Information from the RCIPS shows that the number of cars on Cayman’s roads has practically doubled since 2008. Currently, there are 65,000 registered vehicles, an increase of more than 30,000 since 2008 - and they are all crammed onto a little under 500 miles of roads.

This “bad behaviour/culture on the roads” is a matter Commissioner Waltpon said the RCIPs is keen to get to grips with utilising measures ranging from harsher penalties, introducing additional modern technology and deploying other strategies and police resources.

Calling the situation “a real challenge”, he said, “It’s difficult to have a police officer on every stretch of our roads, so we need to look at other means, and I think that would go towards that driving culture.” It was disclosed that the persistent rate of traffic accidents - many regarded as avoidable - divert officers away from other demanding duties thereby putting additional strain on RCIPS resources.

Commissioner Walton said the issue of road safety is multifaceted and requires collaboration, which he said was evident in the ongoing cooperation with their various partners.

Already the RCIPS, working with the National Roads Safety Committee, has resulted in the installation of lane dividers on the stretch of road known as Spotts Straight, the scene of six road fatalities last year - three persons dying in one accident alone.

The Commissioner described the traffic issue as a “constant and persistent challenge, with what seems to be no let up”.