Last Sunday evening I witnessed a scene that left me in shock.
I was nearing the end of a cool afternoon walk on that stretch of road between the Charlestown Cemetery and the Horsford Nevis Centre. Fortunately for me and my son who had accompanied me, we picked up the sound of speeding engines approaching us from behind just in time for us to run for cover into a nearby gateway. We stood transfixed as two vehicles sped by traveling at what I consider to be top speed, somewhere I would venture, over the 100 miles per hour mark. Two young men were obviously engaged in a high speed car race on the public main road
Now it was about 6.45 pm and, already getting dark. There were about ten vehicles on that stretch of road at the time, some going towards Charlestown, some heading away from it. They all had their headlamps on. It was that dark. There were, I’m sure, other pedestrians on the road at the time, maybe not too visible depending on the colour of the clothes they were wearing.
But that didn’t matter to these two young drivers. It seemed to me that nothing else mattered to them except which of them would clock the fastest time to Gingerland, or wherever the race was supposed to end. I don’t think they saw us walking along the right side of the road. I don’t think they could have seen pedestrian at the speed at which they were traveling. They didn’t seem to care. Thank God we were quick enough to get of their way. They made short work of overtaking all of the cars traveling east. It didn’t matter that there were three or four cars approaching the bend just outside the bakery next to Horsford’s. They roared through, swerving just in time to avoid a multiple smash up, and went hurtling on their mad and merry way.
I am not the easily exciteable type, but I held my jaw in awe for the two to three seconds that the two vehicles took to clear the area, and breathed a sigh of relief that, through the grace of God, the carnage I expected to unfold before our very eyes fortunately did not happen.
Now that was my experience. I am certain that there are countless other residents who have had similar experiences. There is reckless speeding on the country roads, in the middle of Charlestown! Along the Samuel Hunkins Driveway! On the main road approaching the Charlestown Police Station! Almost in front of it!
We have a crisis on our roads. We allowed it to develop, to the extent that a few young drivers who spend large sums of money to increase thee power of their vehicle engines, seem to have taken control, and race with impunity, regardless of speed limits, regardless of the danger to other road users, regardless of the Police. And the disturbing thing is that there is no apparent move to stop them. No wonder, they do it over and over again. They apparently have concluded that the risk of facing a penalty is extremely low.
In my view this madness has to stop. Putting the brakes on this behaviour cannot be so difficult as it is made out to be. Not in an island of thirty six square miles and eleven thousand people. I am told that these ‘racers’ have devised a method to outfox the Police. They post lookouts along the roads with cell phones to tip off their buddies about Police presence along the ‘race track’.
On the face of it, this sounds like a smart idea, but only if the Police are not thinking. Surely, there are many creative ways for them to get around this. What about leaving the Police vehicle, which would be an obvious giveaway, at the Police Station for a change, and getting officers posted at convenient locations out of uniform? I would like to suggest that if the Police were to put their creative hats, all the ‘racers’ on our public roads could be brought to book within one month, maybe even one week. And there is no need to catch everybody. Public example is a powerful tool, and the threat of a conviction and a serious sentence could be a big deterrent to others. .Less than thirty miles of road, remember! Less than thirty miles! I don’t wish to be critical of the Police. I think that for the most part, they do a good job under trying circumstances. But I have to say that it appears to me that they have allowed the ‘racers’ to call the shots.
But even if the Police are outfoxed by the new telephone technology, there are still some serious questions to be asked. Why are these ‘race cars’ allowed on the public roads in the first place? The speed limit on our few miles of public road is somewhere under 150 mph. The roads cannot safely take more than that. There are too many curves, too many pedestrians, too many school children, even too many sheep and goats. When a young fellow alters the engine of his Nissan or Toyota to make 150 mph, he is clearly planning to try out his new toy, not on a race track, but on the same road being used by you and me. This is known to everybody.
These race cars and their owners are easily identifiable and must be well known to the Police. Why are they allowed to continue prowling the streets looking for trouble, when not racing, that is? Before we experience a major catastrophe on our public roads, I would like to make a few simple proposals:
That the licences for all vehicles altered for racing purposes be revoked tracks, not public roads.
That the Police devise more ingenious ways of catching these ‘race drivers’ in the act.
That penalties for racing on our public roads be made more severe.
That government give the Police greater powers to act. For example, if a person is reported for speeding by credible sources, the Police shouldn’t have to wait until he is clocked by a speed gun, before hauling him in for questioning, or a serious warning, which should recorded. If a man is reported to be brandishing a gun in the middle of Charlestown, he would be arrested immediately. Shouldn’t it be the same for one who threatens the lives of motorists and pedestrians with a ton of steel? The Police have asked the public to assist in community policing. Multiple credible reports from the public should, therefore, count for something. Why then the need to wait until a ‘racer’ maims or kills somebody to book him.
That every effort be made by all of us to help to stamp out this race car culture that that seems to have overtaken our public roads.
I know that there would be the usual concerns about legality, and the rights of drivers etc. But the situation on our roads is so dire that urgent action is required immediately.
There is a major accident begging to happen on our public roads in Nevis. Let’s act to avert it before it is too late.
