Letters to the Editor
Drivers are causing serious problems at roundabouts
Dear Sir,
Apologies if this letter is not in my usual calm tone, but my car was rammed on the Grand Harbour roundabout as I attempted to leave Grand Harbour to get across to South Sound road through rush hour traffic.
What has happened to the famed courtesy of Cayman drivers in letting vehicles out from junctions? From my experience, it still exists when making right turns, but, to be brutally honest, the vast majority of drivers here have absolutely no clue how they are supposed to act when on a roundabout.
In particular, when traffic is stationary in rush hour, Cayman drivers simply don't understand the give way sign as they arrive at the roundabout and that the roundabout is not just a continuation of the same choked up traffic artery they have just temporarily exited. So let's spell it out:
On roundabouts, the rules are different.
First of all, you should not enter a roundabout unless you can see that your way is clear to exit the roundabout on the other side, yet nobody here understands that.
Secondly, once on the roundabout in stationary traffic, exercise some courtesy and let traffic trying to get around the roundabout do so, thus letting traffic flow.
Simple really, isn't it? Then why does nobody follow these simple rules, and why do they get mad when traffic tries to navigate their way around? Just leave a gap for people to get through, guys. How tough could that be?
When I got home I phoned to discuss this education issue with the police traffic department, their sympathetic response was, "You are not the first person who has mentioned this problem. We shall try to get on TV to educate the public. We don't understand either why drivers don't know how to act on roundabouts".
Even the police are shaking their heads in exasperation !
Oh, and the RCIP were also a little upset at me for not stopping to get the details of the accident, not just because I should have but also, as they put it, "At least then we would have had the chance to tell that one driver how to drive on roundabouts".
I guess I should have stopped and taken down details, but, judging by the angry yelling from the driver of the red "ram-mobile", he was clearly feeling righteous, and the last thing I needed at the end of a long day was for that ignorant indignation to turn into a road rage incident.
As Pink Floyd would say, "We don't need no education!" (sigh).
Ok, end of rant, thanks for your time.
Tom McCallum