By FARRAH JOHNSON
fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
WHILE the amendments to the Road Traffic Act have been designed to reduce the number of traffic fatalities in the country, traffic police say drivers must make an active effort to abide by all the road regulations to ensure the new rules produce the desired results.
Speaking to The Tribune, Chief Superintendent Craig Stubbs said the only way to decrease the number of traffic related deaths and incidents is to promote responsible driving.
“We thought the cell phone laws would have helped, but it’s up to the driving community – persons who are in charge of the vehicle – to adhere to the rules and regulations,” he said.
“We continue to warn drivers to obey the rules and regulations because they were made for a particular reason.”
ASP Stubbs insisted that the majority of traffic accidents occur when drivers feel that the road rules don’t apply to them.
He added that their “number one concern” is the number of people driving without a valid driver's licence.
“Some persons are driving and only have their learner’s permit,” he said. “Then you have a person who has yet to meet the requirements to sit the exam to learn the street signs driving or in charge of a vehicle.”
“All that contributes to the accidents on the streets. Once that happens we put these people before the court and we charge them, but until persons follow the laws that (say) you need to have a valid driver’s licence, we’ll continue to have an issue.”
Superintendent Mareno Hinds, second officer-in-charge of the Traffic Division, also told this newspaper while he believes the new road rules will affect the number of traffic fatalities, the anticipated impact is not guaranteed.
“People still will exercise poor judgment so we suspect there will be some fatalities,” he said.
“But all laws are made with a view to making the quality of life better for Bahamians so we do believe that the new road rules will help.”
“Our warnings remain the same,” he added. “Our first vice is drinking and driving. We do not want persons to drink and drive. We recognise that it is the holiday season so people will drink and so we say to them drink in moderation and if they’re going to drink, we’re asking that they have a designated driver.”
Supt Hinds also encouraged drivers to “pay attention to the road” while driving.
He explained that their second advice is drivers being distracted by cell phones and urged the public to purchase hand free devices or set up their phones in a way that they don’t have to use their hands.
“Those are two very important rules that we would ask people to adhere to moving into the year 2020,” he said.
The officers' comments come after the most recent traffic fatality that left one man dead and two others in hospital Thursday morning.
Shortly after 1am, three men were travelling west on Robinson Road near Washington Street, when the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a concrete wall.
The front seat passenger sustained serious injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and the other passenger were taken to hospital.
According to ASP Stubbs, the driver is still listed in critical condition while the passenger in the back seat has since been treated and discharged.
Comments
bahamianson 4 years, 11 months ago
The problem is, majority of drivers bought their license, they don't know the rules. Get those people whom are selling out of the office. What is it, $400 for a.license?
Hoda 4 years, 11 months ago
The problem is Bahamians abuse alcohol are encouraged to abuse alcohol and think driving inebriated is a badge of honor.
Groidal 4 years, 11 months ago
Whoa! Hang on! "Drivers Must Abide By Regulations To Reduce Traffic Deaths" Sage advice by our boys in blue!
Why didn't anyone tell us this sooner??
BMW 4 years, 11 months ago
Boys in blue need to start doing their jobs! Start with the small infractions and keep at it.
mandela 4 years, 11 months ago
The Island is 21 miles long x 7 miles wide, and all the time speed is a factor in these traffic death, so where ya going? Then there's the lack of patients no one wants to wait, everyone's in a rush and courtesy for others is a thing of the past. All the laws in the world will be of no help, with the traffic becoming more and more, and the D-Average drivers becoming stupider and stupider all that's going to happen is more fatalities
avidreader 4 years, 11 months ago
Unfortunately there is no shortage of "patients" but a very great shortage of "patience". The patients being the direct result of lack of patience.
stillwaters 4 years, 11 months ago
Good spelling lesson!!!!
bahamianson 4 years, 11 months ago
Just the wrong use of the words not really a spelling issue
bahamianson 4 years, 11 months ago
Also, if we are nit picking, it should be more stupid instead of stupider
BONEFISH 4 years, 11 months ago
Enforcement of traffic laws in the Bahamas is sporadic.It is not an ongoing feature of policing here in the Bahamas in my opinion. Coupled with the amount of persons driving without proper insurance and licensing ,this is a major problem. When I visited my sister in the US,the police in the city made enforcement of traffic laws a major plank of their policing.Drunk driving,not wearing a seatbelt and not having a child in a restraint seat were major no's,no's with them.
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 11 months ago
Correctamundo...
"we thought the cell phone laws would have helped"
I hope this isn't part of the policing strategy that they're keeping secret ...we have more than enough traffic laws slready if that was the case. We need more eyes ensuring people are following the laws... human or digital.
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 11 months ago
With driving conditions and parking as they are now on New Providence, I laugh heartily everytime I see someone I know driving a brand spanking new car that was likely purchased with a loan from the bank. Fools and their money are easily parted. Even many of us who can afford to pay cold cash for a new car prefer to buy a used one knowing that it will quickly be dinged and dented if not bashed in a major accident. LMAO
Please-Sir 4 years, 11 months ago
The big problem is that there are no consequences for poor behaviour. If driving without a licence meant confiscation of vehicle and mandatory jail time, ditto driving without insurance; if speeding limits were rigorously enforced with licence forfeiture on a points-based basis; if drink driving led to jail time, no questions asked, no favouritism, improvement would be immediate. However, it seems there is no will, there is no fundamental desire to improve. You need leadership for that to happen, and there isn’t any.
Porcupine 4 years, 11 months ago
Absolutely correct.
bahamianson 4 years, 11 months ago
" We thought the cell phone laws would help".Wow,Craig Stubb's, you need to be fired! What a ridiculous statement to make! That statement alone means that you are a novice and need to be demoted! It is not my field of expertise, but Mr. Stubb's, this crap has been going on way before humans acquired another " LIMB". Get serious and stop being silly! I am outraged that you would make such a statement.
B_I_D___ 4 years, 11 months ago
They very quickly abided by that law that allows them to turn left on red...forget the rest though...
Icelaverne 4 years, 11 months ago
Before establishing solutions to the many vehicle accidents and fatalities, the police force road traffic department ought to have performed a Root Cause Analysis(RCA) . In doing so they would have determined the true causal factors of the many vehicle accidents & fatalities. They stated clearly that “We thought the cell phone laws would have helped....." Now, the country drivers are saddled with a law that is not functional, not useful or adequate. There is full agreement on abiding with the law. All the writers who opined have bits and pieces of the solution...driver,speed, inadequate roads, functioning vehicles, alcohol, cell phone distraction and no less other drivers... Conduct a proper RCA....Maybe they are not aware or have knowledge of the RCA techniques.
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