The Stay Alive road safety drive is not being a top priority with many motorists as crashes, tickets and arrests mount up says a press release from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS).

The release says:

Keeping our roads safe is quite clearly not a priority for many drivers on Cayman’s roads.

The latest results for the Stay Alive road safety drive confirm that motorists are still continuing to ignore police warnings and the important safety issues associated with offences such as drinking and driving, speeding, cellphone use, dangerous driving and disqualified driving.

Twenty-one people were arrested between 30 November and 11 December. Twelve of those arrests were for DUI and the remaining nine for dangerous driving, disqualified driving, leaving the scene of accidents, no license and no insurance.

In addition, 49 people were ticketed for speeding, 20 for cellphone use and 57 for not wearing seatbelts. More than 120 other traffic offences were uncovered and ticketed. Fifty-four crashes also took place during the same period.

“It’s disappointing that so many people continue to ignore our advice,” said Superintendent Adrian Seales. “Too many families have already lost loved ones on our roads, and we all need to play our part to make our roads much safer. We are not going to let up on our enforcement activity and my advice to everyone is to use taxis, busses and designated drivers to make sure you get home from your celebrations in one piece.

“I’d also ask people to stop and think about the implications a death, serious injury or loss of income could have on their families. If you don’t stop and think for yourself, think of your wife, your husband and your children and how they would survive without you, or if you lost your job as a result of a driving ban.”

Road safety is a 365 day a year priority for the RCIPS. The festive public education drive– Stay Alive – will run until Friday 4 January 2013.