was pleased to see the Press Release from the RCIPSs we have published today. It is has, unfortunately, the somewhat boring heading “RCIPS issues traffic advisory to road users”. We have used it as a sub-heading, chnging the main heading to “Police warn drivers they MUST indicate and other ‘nuances’ to help traffic flow”.

I am hoping it will draw more readership. Don’t we all hate the bumper to bumper, stop and go crawl every morning and evening to work and come back home?

The Release reminds motorists about “Speeding in School Zones”, “Speeding”, “Unsafe Loads and Passengers on the Back of Trucks”, and finally “Use of Indicators and Inattention”.

This is the very first time I have read any RCIPS traffic related release that highlights that drivers “must use their indicators when approaching a roundabout and when making turns on and off of the public roadways. During morning and evening commute, officers have noticed that persons using the roundabouts are not indicating to the lane they wish to exit and this in turn causes a build-up of traffic to occur. Failing to indicate is an offense which carries a traffic fine of $100.”

I have been preaching that over and over again.

Continually ticketing people for over tinting their windows does not cause accidents. Not signalling, especially at roundabouts DOES!!!

That and speeding, combined with over-the-limit drinking and driving, are the main causes. Plus imaptience!!!

Just yesterday evening, as I was waiting to enter the Linford Pierson Highway from a sideroad near where I live, I was having difficulty judging the speed of the vehicles going south down the two lane road. A car drew up behind me. Three cars coming down the highway turned left into the road I was waiting. Only one indicated. For a Friday evening (it was around 6:30pm) the traffic going south was unusually large. The driver of the car behind me started to become impatient and began blasting his horn at me. I counted to ten and did not give an appropriate hand gesture tback. I did venture onto the highway and as usual marvelled at how the approaching vehicles head lights were upon me so quickly even though I had sped quickly up to the regulation 40mph. They either flashed past me or at me as I proceeded on my way, past the large roundabot that takes you to Jose’s gas station and down to the little roundabout at the end.

By this time, the car that had blasted his horn at me was now two cars in front and as the road was now one lane down and one lane up, and there was a line of approaching traffic, he couldn’t overtake.

The car in front of our impatient driver was stuck behind a car at the little roundabout. Car after car that turned left onto the Highway did not indicate they were doing so making the driver waiting there take a long time before someone did indicate and he was able to proceed. During all this time my impatient tooting driver took up his cue and started blasting his horn again!

When I arrived at the traffic lights at the juction by the Cricket Ground my tooting ‘friend’ was now alongside me in the second lane. The lights changed and he sped off, weaving in and out of the lanes so he could be fiirst. When I got to roundabout by A.L Thompson I actually passed him. He had weaved into the wrong lane and was stuck. I smiled as I passed him by and I did stop the urge to toot.

He was first, but after me!