Drivers thumb noses at the law

Dennie Quill, Columnist

I am simply amazed at how behaviour on our roads has deteriorated. The evidence was all before my eyes last weekend when I took a road trip to Montego Bay. Speeding and indiscriminate overtaking were the most common violations, but I observed many other breaches during my journey.

Kingston was always top of the class when it comes to road-traffic violations. And the brazenness of some public-passenger operators defies the imagination. Some weeks ago, I observed the head of the Police Traffic Department, Superintendent Radcliffe Lewis, standing in front of his squad car in the vicinity of the US Embassy on Old Hope Road. This was in the thick of afternoon traffic, and in acknowledging his presence, I quietly hoped this would mean a retreat from the usual antics displayed by lawless public-passenger drivers.

To my amazement, a minibus was seen coming from Munroe Road. The driver, having decided that he wanted to head east on Old Hope Road, didn't bother to allow the one-way median to get in his way. He simply rode the median and zipped towards Papine.

I don't believe the superintendent saw what had happened and the minibus driver must have silently congratulated himself for his wily ways, while law-abiding citizens experienced a jaw-dropping moment.

As if that was not bad enough, a motorist travelling easterly along Old Hope Road spotted a friend over at Sovereign Centre. He simply stopped his vehicle in the middle of the road, put on his hazard light while he waited for his friend to get on-board, oblivious to the fact that the traffic lights are green and there are at least four vehicles behind him.

Drivers of public-passenger vehicles have demonstrated to the rest of the country that they can get away with breaking the law - either because they go undetected, or, if caught, they can simply ignore the tickets and wait for an amnesty. It is this example which now has the rest of the population thumbing their noses at the law.

Last weekend proved that the other parishes are catching up and confirmed to me the growing public contempt for traffic laws. I counted more than two dozen incidents during my journey. In most cases, I believe these infractions deserved to be ticketed. But there are never any police around when these incidents take place.

SPEED TRAPS NO DETERRENT

Speed traps set up by the police are not a significant deterrent to road hogs. For one, they are usually warned by fellow motorists, and two, the sites of these operations are well-known. A vigilant Traffic Division cannot concentrate all its efforts on issuing speeding tickets, although it is a very important instrument to ensure that violators are punished and made to pay for breaking the law.

However, despite the best efforts of the National Road Safety Council, which has heightened its public-awareness campaign about the need for traffic safety, too many persons are dying on our roads each year. These are preventable deaths.

Traffic police cannot go soft on driving infractions such as disobeying the right of way at four-way intersections, failing to yield to emergency vehicles, obstruction of the roadway, reckless operation of motor vehicles, and improper passing. Added to that is the factor of distracted driving as motorists use their cell phones to make calls or send text messages.

Although the traffic police cannot be everywhere, I have noticed from time to time that police personnel travelling in marked vehicles tend to turn a blind eye to flagrant violators on the road. There needs to be a heightened approach to public safety, and it should be the aim of every law officer to ensure that the rules of the road are obeyed. Laws exist to ensure the smooth flow of traffic in a safe manner, and without zero tolerance, the lawless minority will continue to distress the law-abiding majority.

Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and denniequill@hotmail.com.