I am not surprised there were 22 motor vehicle collisions reported to the police over this past weekend, 29 September to 1 October.

This continued the trend here in the Cayman Islands and particularly on Grand Cayman of numerous road collisions for the second week in a row.

One would have thought the horrifying accident earlier this year near East End involving multiple deaths including tourists would make drivers more cautious.

The answer to that is a resounding “NO”!

“While we know that a fair amount of rain in recent weeks has played a role in the number of collisions, the fact remains that most of the serious crashes appear to be alcohol-related,” said Inspector Ian Yearwood, Head of the Traffic Management Unit. “Drinking and driving continues to be a threat to the safety of all road users. We continue to ask all drivers to be responsible; you are not only risking your own safety, but that of everyone on the road.”

Yes. “YOU ARE NOT ONLY RISKING YOUR OWN SAFETY, BUT THAT OF EVERYONE ON THE ROAD.”

I witness myself the terrible driving every single time I drive from Newlands into George Town and back. A trip I do at least five times a week.

The insanity of driving behaviour makes we wonder if these people behind the wheel have lost their senses altogether.

The speeding and weaving in and out of the traffic on the road between the Hurley’s roundabout and the East West Arterial Road at the Tomlinson roundabout is like a fairground “Dodge ‘Em Cars”. Because that expression is now so dated most of my readers won’t know first hand what I am talking about.

Yesterday, just before 7pm a white truck careered past me on the right hand side along this piece of road and then without signalling veered across my path to get into the adjoining lane on my left going to Prospect. In so doing he almost clipped the front of my car and then by a miracle managed to avoid smashing into the back of vehicle that was going slower than I was that was now immediately in front of him.

At 7PM the traffic is still very heavy at the end of the rush hour. It was also raining.

Two weeks ago just after 7am on The Linford Pierson Highway that I had just turned onto from the Kings roundabout, a car sped past and swung in front of me via the small amount of dual carriageway just managing to avoid me and the barriers. He then had to travel at a much lesser speed in front of me because of all the other vehicles going down the Bypass.

Last week, along the same Highway a car swung past me into the lane going the other way just before the roundabout to nowhere almost into the path of an approaching car. Both of us had to brake and come to a stop to avoid this maniac.

I expect you have all experienced similar situations and if I had to report here all the other bad driving I have witnessed I would still be writing this Editorial as you are now reading it.

Whilst I have your attention let me appeal to all of you:

1. Please signal at all roundabouts if you are turning off. Especially the little roundabout at the end of the Linford Pierson Highway (Huldah Ave). The vast majority of drivers don’t.
2. At dusk please put on your headlights. Although you might be able to see where you are going if you are in front of a car and that car’s headlights are on as they should be your car is invisible.
3. Slow down. You don’t save yourself five minutes of time on our roads.
4. When it rains slow down even more. When the road is wet and you brake you don’t stop as quickly.

The drinking and driving habit has already been covered.

I want all of you alive and not seriously hurt to be able to continue to read my Editorials!

Let’s have less vehicle collisions next month. Better still none at all.