Dear Mr. Editor,

We Bahamians really are atrocious drivers!  Need evidence, just go to any traffic light and watch drivers drive through not just the amber, or yellow, light but straight through the red as well; or how about a simple road junction, the majority of drivers who are turning right, have started to make the turn well before even reaching the junction and so end up using a substantial part of the opposite lane to complete the turn, forcing on-coming traffic to violently swerve or stop to avoid an accident.  Or a third example, the driver coming to a “T” junction, he is required to stop as the cross traffic has right of way but if that driver is intending to turn right he will invariably have started the turn well before the junction and will block those vehicles wishing to turn into that road.  A fourth example is the Bahamian belief that although the rule of the road is to drive on the left, when coming to a dual carriage way he will insist on cruising in the right or passing lane forcing passing traffic to dangerously weave around him.

Roundabouts, also known in America as traffic circles, are another area that appear to totally dumbfound the Bahamian driver, the first rule is to give way to traffic already on the roundabout, the second is to select the correct lane before entering the roundabout, take the left lane to turn left or go straight on and take the right lane to, also, go straight on or turn right, quite simple really but the number of times I have watched someone take the left lane and go all the way round is truly horrifying.

My sixth moan is lack of use of indicators, now I know we Bahamians are a very private people but this is pushing the envelope just a tad.  Indicators are there to be used every time you are changing direction, not just to prove to the vehicle inspector, once a year, that they actually work and, in fact, I do believe there is a legal requirement that they be used.

Night time driving is now getting dangerously uncomfortable with more and more drivers driving on main beam or bright lights and refusing to dip the lights for on-coming traffic or when following another vehicle.  Talking of lights, hello Mr. Policeman in your new Ford Fusion patrol car, please, oh please, turn off those flashing lights unless you are headed to an actual emergency, those strobe-type lights can cause migraine headaches, I am one of those who suffer from this malaise and would appreciate a little more consideration.  In fact this continual use of these lights will bring in the “law of diminishing returns” i.e. the public sees the lights in an emergency situation but thinks oh, it’s the police on patrol.  Also I wonder how many American tourists have pulled into the curb and stopped and watched, in wonder, as the police car sails on past, since, in Florida and other states, the flashing lights indicate to the car ahead to pull over and stop.

How about driving on John F Kennedy Drive from the new six-legged roundabout out to the airport and try counting the number of street lights that have been damaged or even completely torn down, the number is horrendous, some months back I did just that and I counted beyond 20 poles damaged or gone while headed west and it has got worse since then!!

I will finish with a reference to the “safe driving” community, please note Speed, by and of itself, does not nor cannot kill, it will merely get you to the end of your journey quicker; what does maim and kill is; 1) stupidity, 2) inexperience, 3) mechanical failure and 4) weather related.  If “speed” was this terrible killer a Formula One racing driver, Felipe Massa, would have died three times in an eight day period last year, twice in Monaco for the Grand Prix held there, the weather had been wet and Sr. Massa twice hit the retaining wall in excess of 100 miles per hour and the following week-end in Montreal, Canada, it had, again, been wet and Massa for the third time had a 100mph accident, he walked away from all three accidents with no injury other than bruises and a good shaking up.  From memory two of those accidents were weather related, however the third was a mechanic failure.  The corollary to this is a toddler playing on the front drive of the family home and is hit and killed by a vehicle manoeuvring at less than 5mph.

With this abysmal standard of driving one is left with only one thought ….. how much does a driver’s licence cost nowadays?

Well, sir, those are my moans and gripes for today,

Harry Strachan