Stop signs, road rules are not suggestions

Dear Editor,

Why is it that many drivers in Jamaica don’t obey the traffic laws or and stop at a stop sign? Do they feel that these signs are not necessary and are just placed there as a suggestion of what you could do?

When sign says stop it means actually come to a complete stop; not drive behind the car that is in front of you, or gently roll past the sign into the intersection.

On Wednesday, March 20, 2019, on Seymour Avenue in Kingston, I almost met in what could have been a fatal car crash. As I proceeded from my stationary position at the four-way stop, a car to my right came at a speed, with not even a second glance at the stop sign on their side. By the grace of God the driver swerved in time not to hit me on the driver’s side.

When I stopped to take a breath, I said to myself that there was no way he could not have seen that it was a four-way stop. Why then would he think he could just barrel through the intersection? Well I did not get the chance to ask him, but the fact is, he, like many other drivers, doesn’t see the need to follow street signs or obey traffic laws.

Whether it’s Seymour Avenue, Halfway-tree or Old Hope roads it does not matter. The driving going on in Jamaica is nothing short of madness. Drivers in Jamaica do what they want, even when there is a policeman or policewoman in sight.

Every evening I see the same thing. Taxis overtaking 10 cars and going right through intersections with stop signs.

At times I want to ask, where are the police? But, I can tell you where, standing at a street corner looking as the cars go by. They have no motorbike to stop the offender. They simply get dropped off and picked up.

With more and more drivers on the road, and our Government trying hard to curb the rising road death toll, the time has come to end the madness on our roads. Public education campaigns teaching road rules, and police enforcing rules during heavy traffic times, would be a great place to start.

Let’s work together to make our roads safer for all. Next time it could be your life.