Now living in Newlands and having to drive regularly to George Town and back, I can say with my hand over my heart, I am lucky not to have had a collision. I am lucky I have not suffered a serious injury. I am lucky I am still alive.

The standard of driving I see every
time I venture out in my car is horrendous.

The non-signaling by the large majority
of persons at roundabouts is so dangerous it is a miracle anyone can
get through without a scrape. That, plus the speed and overtaking on
the roundabouts by idiots makes it like playing Russian roulette.

I have preached and preached to the
police to pay more attention to that than giving out tickets to
windscreen tinting being too dark, but my words of wisdom go into the
garbage bin without even a comment.

It is not against the law, it would
seem, not to signal your intention, even though this is the cause of
many, many accidents.

Nowadays, we automobile drivers have to
be mind readers, and now I carry a Crystal Ball in the passenger seat
beside me. Sorry, humans travelling with me have to sit in the back
seats.

The latest traffic statistics 2018)
from the RCIPS show there were, on average, over 6 traffic accidents
every day – a total of 2,353 collisions. This included 8 fatal
accidents and 35 others where victims were seriously injured.

Incredibly, the number of collisions are down 14% compared with 2017. 2,353 against 2,732. However,, over 2,000 speeding tickets were given out. This is over triple the number executed in 2017. This is probably due to the RCIPS putting back their traffic unit that was astonishingly stopped under the previous Commissioner's watch.

The new Commissioner, Derek Byrne,
thinks more traffic enforcement cameras are needed. These would be
mounted on the roadside. Just seeing them would be a deterrent to the
oncoming motorist.

If it is done, we will have to wait and
see if that is the solution.

The cost of doing this could, however,
be prohibitive. The maintenance costs would also be very high. I'm
not sure the Commish should rub his hands with glee just yet.

Another awful statistic is Driving
Under the Influence (DUI). Total arrests were 328 compared to 253.
Despite all the campaigns, the warnings, the road deaths and serious
accidents, all due to DUI, drivers are still not listening. All of
you who still do this are brain dead and often you are the one who
escapes, except for your horrible injuries. It is the third party(s)
who goes to an early grave.

Driving without insurance is another
area of concern. 331 arrests against 231. You kill someone on the
roads and you have no insurance? I know where you will spend the rest
of your life.

Our driving here is horrendous and I
fear it will not change.