Beware of the ‘demon’ this Xmas season – CoP Michael B. Matthews
Matthews made the public appeal on Friday, December 20, 2019, while a guest on JTV’s Big Story with Cathy O. Richards.
The Commissioner said there have been two road fatalities for 2019, a similar amount as 2018, “but the problem I see when I look at the data [is] there are far too many accidents on our roads. Every single day we are responding to accidents and I would say a high a figure as 90% plus of it is about carelessness.”
Rudeness on our roads!
Mr Matthews reasoned that the cause of most road accidents is due to a lack of appreciation for other road users, “sometimes it’s just about rudeness on our roads if I can put it that way. People ‘cutting’ other motorists, people speeding, people ignoring speed limits, people ignoring signs where they should not park and so forth, creating obstructions.”
According to the Commissioner, the large amount of road accidents are resource-intensive for the RVIPF despite most of them being simple accidents like fender-benders and dents in cars. “But we still have to attend because there are still a number of people on our roads who don’t bother to insure their vehicles and leave people out of pocket potentially at risk, so we have a job there to enforce the law.”
Beware of the demon: ‘drink & drive’
Foreseeing the potential for increased accidents during this holiday season, Mr Matthews cautioned about drinking and driving. “At this time of year people not only want to get out and about, see their relatives and friends and enjoy parties and do their Christmas shopping but what comes with that is the added problem of the demon- drink and drive.”
He said he was not in any way intent on spoiling anyone’s Christmas, “But I think a lot of people believe that there aren’t actually any laws in the territory when it comes to drinking and driving and of course there are.”
Hopeful for updated traffic legislation
Mr Matthews is also hopeful that next year legislation will be put in place for breathalysers to be used as a deterrent to drinking and driving.
“The mere fact that my officers don’t carry breathalysers at the moment, well that’s something that we are hoping to get updated, the new legislation is before the House of Assembly under the Police Act. I hope and pray in 2020 we would see that enacted and that would change the way we operate in terms of drinking and driving.”
Presently, the RVIPF relies mainly on doing blood tests for persons suspected of drinking and driving. “If alcohol is found you can be charged with that offense,” Mr Matthews said, while suggesting not to look at the offense from the point of breaking the law. “Let’s look at it from the prospective of public safety. Whether we like it or not we all think we can hold our drinks. I am not objecting to anybody having a drink at Christmas,” he added, while noting that he too likes his drinks at Christmas with his family and friends.
The Police Commissioner none-the-less insisted: “But if you get on the drinking side and you either have too much to drink and then you get behind the wheel of a car you are behind the wheel of a lethal weapon and it’s the same as carrying a gun if you hit somebody.”
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9 Responses to “Beware of the ‘demon’ this Xmas season – CoP Michael B. Matthews”
We can do you a radar lasar speed gun from $17.99
Sorry about traffic parking in the wrong place you'll need your own tickets to sort that one
Merry Christmas!