Accident reduction measures in T&T

[LadyDeath]

There have been alot of fatal accidents for this year so far. Many are loosing their loved ones and for a small country like ours, the accident rate is very high! What are some measures do you think can reduce accidents or help mitigate the aftermath of these incidences.

- CCTV cameras to be installed on mostly highways and popular accident prone areas to catch hit and run accidents or to determine who was right/wrong , and also to see if anything can be done to the area to prevent future accidents.

- Implement more of the "RUMBLE STRIPS" that makes a loud noise when you are swerving off the road. This should be implemented on all highways and freeways to alert drunk or sleepy drivers .

- Police Speed Reader to determine drivers that are above the speeding limit.

- Implement a Electronic Driver's License like the US where there is a point system for offenses such as tickets/speeding/ reckless driving that goes on your permanent record. If you get more than a certain point, then your license is suspended and repeat of this can lead to it being permanently taken away.

- Major night clubs can introduce a Taxi cab system where it transports drunk drivers home thus reducing the occurrence of any accident taking place.

- Road blocks or breathalyser by major night clubs or liming places :twisted: :twisted:


What are some of your ideas?

 

[anthonemorris]

Accident reduction starts on an individual basis, not legislative. If I wanted to I could cause many an accident or incident on purpose. The thing is for people to realise that the car they drive is not an object that they can't control, but an extension of their very body that is under their control and how to avoid losing said control. One thing we overlook in accidents is the basic maintenance of vehicles. U may have the resources to keep your vehicle in pristine condition, whereas another can barely keep his running but you both share the road. If something fails in his car at speed and he swerves at your car what are you to do? ( this is within the speed limit). Yes we have legislation for vehicle inspection, but not everyone has an up to par vehicle. And that is just one aspect. Enforcement of the law doesn't just fall on the protective services. We all need to enforce the laws as well as follow them. Typical example is to slow when rain falls, yet still we see people crossing 100kph on the highways. Unless individual mindsets are changed lawlessness will continue and lives will continue to be lost on the roads

 

[Sky22]

I agree with both of you.. One of the biggest accidents is that cars run off the road due to little bumps and uneven paved roads..Also gravel from trucks.

I think that its logical that all highway and main roads should be paved evenly to ensure safety. Sometimes in the night or when its raining people cannot see the roads properly and these little things can cause them to get into accidents.

I would love to see cameras by traffic lights that many people seem to speed through. Especially in the E/W corridor many ignore the red light and accidents take place. Just this year alone there has been three dangerous accidents by the UWI traffic lights due to cars speeding through the red light. I think that these who are in breach should be given a ticket in the mail yes.

Another thing is why are these container trucks and sand trucks driving so recklessly on the fast lane with load?? I hate this especially when i'm on the fast lane and they cut infront of me with all these gravel stone pitching untop my damn car. I think they should be restricted to using the middle and slow lane . So many accidents and broken windscreens are their faults due to these unsecured loads and they don't stop for nothing especially when you try to flag them down to tell them that their stone just damaged your windscreen. Steups!

 

[anthonemorris]

Re: Accident reduction measures in T&T

I agree with both of you.. One of the biggest accidents is that cars run off the road due to little bumps and uneven paved roads..Also gravel from trucks.

I think that its logical that all highway and main roads should be paved evenly to ensure safety. Sometimes in the night or when its raining people cannot see the roads properly and these little things can cause them to get into accidents.

I would love to see cameras by traffic lights that many people seem to speed through. Especially in the E/W corridor many ignore the red light and accidents take place. Just this year alone there has been three dangerous accidents by the UWI traffic lights due to cars speeding through the red light. I think that these who are in breach should be given a ticket in the mail yes.

Another thing is why are these container trucks and sand trucks driving so recklessly on the fast lane with load?? I hate this especially when i'm on the fast lane and they cut infront of me with all these gravel stone pitching untop my damn car. I think they should be restricted to using the middle and slow lane . So many accidents and broken windscreens are their faults due to these unsecured loads and they don't stop for nothing especially when you try to flag them down to tell them that their stone just damaged your windscreen. Steups!

Trucks with load are "restricted" to the left lane by law, but again enforcement in Trini sucks.

 

[Sky22]

Police now need to give out tickets for that. I understand that its a business people are conducting to drop loads of gravel but these are the nation's roads and other peoples lives are at risk. At least secure the load properly and not just wetting them..Even though they are wet loose gravel still escapes.

 

[LadyDeath]

Imagine my brother got in an accident in 2010 just 1 month after he bought a new car.. A container truck couldn't get brakes on the fast lane and slammed into the back of his car..

 

[Sky22]

And this is what i am talking about...Big trucks that was driving too fast for their own good on the fast lane. This happened today! Arive Alive posted it to their fb page and said there were reports that the driver was driving over the speed limit for trucks. He was seen cooperating with the police as a Breathalyser test was administrated to him. The truck was said to have blown out a tyre.

[attachment=0:1bvil9jg]10570261_750759628320848_8286427988024473386_n.jpg[/attachment:1bvil9jg]

 

[admin]

And this is what i am talking about...Big trucks that was driving too fast for their own good on the fast lane. This happened today! Arive Alive posted it to their fb page and said there were reports that the driver was driving over the speed limit for trucks. He was seen cooperating with the police as a Breathalyser test was administrated to him. The truck was said to have blown out a tyre.

[attachment=0:lx34ntb3]10570261_750759628320848_8286427988024473386_n.jpg[/attachment:lx34ntb3]

I'm happy that no one was badly injured and forgive me for saying this but i'm fed up of those loaded trucks driving extremely fast and slow on the fast lane. They know the vehicles are over loaded and still they drive on the fast lane.

 

[Sky22]

It looked like bread but its actually rice. I am glad that he got a breathalyser even though he maybe was not drunk. He should feel shame because at a speed like that, it is a danger to people's lives

 

[potash05]

number one don't buy yuh license work for it and earn it then we can carry on

 

[Shadowhunter]

*** possible trigger, graphic-ish descriptions


One of my old school friends lost 5 of her relatives one night. The driver of their vehicle was speculated to have been intoxicated as well as the passengers (the remains were barely salvageable) so you may think they got what they deserved for possibly drunk driving. Just wait. The vehicle that collided with them was one of those really big trucks (can't remember which one....mac? this was nearly 10 yrs ago). The truck driver was speeding around a corner (this was probably after 9pm) and crashed into them, ending up on top of the car, crushing the occupants inside as the engine etc of the car exploded and skewered the occupants. The driver admitted to falling asleep at the wheel. There was speculation that he may have been intoxicated but he was never tested. He issued an apology statement offering a lump sum of $5000 to the families, stating that he didn't know how he fell asleep and couldn't afford anything more than that. I'll spare you the gory details of all else. I believe it was a MACK truck that caused that accident. To make it worse, just a few months before that incident, my family and I were hit from behind by another of the same truck in near standstill traffic heading to POS.


That was not the first accident I've heard of caused by a sleeping driver. I agree that people are responsible for their own actions and the law (and enforcement) can only go so far. In the case of sleeping drivers for instance, companies need to ensure that their drivers are well-rested and sober and should be held responsible (at the very least, in part) if found otherwise. My dad worked as a truck driver when I was very young and most trips required days/nights of non-stop driving. Thankfully, his company put the workers on shifts in pairs or groups of three so they could alternate and each get a chance to rest while someone else drove, which wasn't ideal, but still better than forcing one person through it. In both accidents with the MACK trucks, the driver was the sole occupant. Maybe each driver really was overworked and too tired to drive. I wish companies would step up and accept responsibilities for their workers, especially those operating on the roads. Close your eyes for two seconds and you take a life (or five).

 

[nirtime]

Truck drivers operate as though they're driving sports cars. Ive almost been hit from a 18ft trailer because i left 3 car lengths from the car in front of me. Mr.truck driver puts on his indicator and begins to pull on the lane without waiting even a second. I had to slow down else i was history.
Loaded trucks also drive over the lines on highways, pull the trailer like it doesnt exist and further, they almost always drive too close behind or speed in the wet.

Another thing, these people driving 4wd vans, a lottt of them tailgate for lengthy periods and drive in excess of 120kmh on a busy highway. Call me biased but Navara drivers are the worst they don't slow down even if theyre tailing you and you hit the brake for whatever reason. When i used drive an Altis i always got bullied by Navaras on all lanes of the highway and always felt a sense of uneasiness because of how close they used to drive behind me. They also swerve in and out of traffic at high speeds like theyre driving a 20B FD rx7.

 

[Shadowhunter]

Truck drivers operate as though they're driving sports cars. Ive almost been hit from a 18ft trailer because i left 3 car lengths from the car in front of me. Mr.truck driver puts on his indicator and begins to pull on the lane without waiting even a second. I had to slow down else i was history.
Loaded trucks also drive over the lines on highways, pull the trailer like it doesnt exist and further, they almost always drive too close behind or speed in the wet.

Another thing, these people driving 4wd vans, a lottt of them tailgate for lengthy periods and drive in excess of 120kmh on a busy highway. Call me biased but Navara drivers are the worst they don't slow down even if theyre tailing you and you hit the brake for whatever reason. When i used drive an Altis i always got bullied by Navaras on all lanes of the highway and always felt a sense of uneasiness because of how close they used to drive behind me. They also swerve in and out of traffic at high speeds like theyre driving a 20B FD rx7.

I've found van drivers can be the biggest bullies on the roads, but I don't think the numbers reflect that way in accidents. I wouldn't be surprised if many of the cars that got in accidents were somehow instigated by a rowdy van driver.

 

[nirtime]

Its possible for numbers to only reflect specifics. The other factors surrounding the accidents may not necessarily be recorded.

Ive seen it for myself many times how vans have just barely escaped causing major crashes on the highways.
You'd think that being built like a truck(full sized pick up truck) just a bit smaller would make the drivers aware of their abilities to kill on impact more so as they are carrying around steel bumpers and more weight.

 

[Shadowhunter]

True. I guess most van drivers just consider their advantageous size for their own benefit, without giving a thought to the possible danger other vehicles (smaller) face due to their recklessness and simply continue on their way, oblivious. I'm pretty sure there are many van drivers that intentionally target smaller vehicles though, but not all are like that.

 

[nirtime]

Simply put, a lot of them don't care. As a fellow van driver myself i give way a lot of the time because if i hit someone theres a higher probability of killing or worse damage vs a kei car for example.

Yes there are lots of people who just bully others and plant their grill in the other persons bumper because theyre bigger than they are.

God forbid they don't hit.

 

[Shadowhunter]

Makes me wonder if car sales shouldn't include psychometric tests and the like before issuing vehicles.

 

[nirtime]

Even if it does, new car sales will plummet so they never will do such a thing. But its a great measure

 

[Shadowhunter]

True....what if it were implemented into licensing somehow?

 

[nirtime]

The system is too corrupt to handle any type of "development" as it stands. A simple yet effective measure to curb nonsense is just to equip police with radars, and make their power and presence obvious among road users because people break the law in front of police with flashing blue LEDs and they just continue along their way not to mention the absolute lack of presence.