PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The police has done a retrospective of the vehicle accidents that took place over the last 9 months on the island. This analysis looked at the causes and locations where most of these collisions took place and the consequences of these road accidents were examined.
There was more than 600 road accidents registered with the Sint Maarten Police Department between January 1st and September 30th 2020. This averages out to be about 70 accidents per month. With this information, it can be noted that every day, more than two accidents take place across Sint Maarten. In fact, statistics show that many of the common causes of collisions are preventable.
The human factor appears to be the most prevalent contributing factor of road traffic crashes. This includes both driving behaviors such as: being distracted while driving, speeding, reckless driving and traffic law violations or impaired skills such as: fatigue, physical disabilities.Below, we have listed the most common reasons for road accidents on the Sint Maarten.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is the most common cause of road accidents on Sint Maarten. Next to distracted drivers, speeding, driving under the influence, are causes of some of the other major accident.
Often accidents happens because drivers are distracted while behind the wheel, taking their focus away from the road. Sometimes, accidents occur for a combination of reasons, from bad visibility to unsafe road design, or other drivers lack caution. While the causes of accidents can vary, the consequences are often the same, resulting in everything from vehicular and property damage to serious injuries.
Drivers can become distracted behind the wheel for a variety of reasons. Some of the leading causes of distracted driving accidents include using a cellphone while driving, as well as eating or drinking while behind the wheel.
Speeding
Speeding is the second most common cause of road accidents. Since car and truck accidents that involve speeding typically occur at high speeds, it is also a major cause of serious or fatal road injuries.
Driving above the speed limit is a common practice for many motorists. In addition, illegal behavior vastly increases the risk of losing control of a vehicle and causing an accident
Even a small increase in speed can result in a much higher risk of being involved in a collision or other type of accident. As such, it is essential for motorists to be aware of the speed at which they are traveling and stay within the legal limits.
Reckless Driving
Speeding, changing lanes without looking, hopping of scooters and motorbikes and ignoring road signs are all classic signs of reckless driving. An illegal driving habit’s now one of the most common cause of road accidents on our island
Reckless driving usually involves a motorist that is less concerned about other road users than they are.
After having looked at the reasons why vehicle accidents happen, an overview was done into the location on the island where most vehicular accidents take place.
The locations of the most accident prone areas over the past 9 months are as follows:
| AIRPORT ROAD | 24 |
| A.J.C. BROUWERS ROAD | 49 |
| A.TH. ILLIDGE ROAD | 59 |
| ARCH ROAD | 12 |
| BUSH ROAD | 26 |
| C.A. CANNEGIETER STREET | 12 |
| L.B. SCOT ROAD | 35 |
| SUCKERGARDEN ROAD | 40 |
| UNION ROAD | 39 |
| WALTER J.A. NISBET ROAD | 53 |
| WELFARE ROAD | 47 |
The most dangerous crossings and intersections are listed below where most accidents takes place:
Roundabout Indigo Bay (Brouwers road)
Harold Jack (Brouwers road)
Crossing Brouwers road (Brouwers road )
Crossing A.Th Illidge road and Middle region road (A.Th Illidge road)
Crossing Billy folly road and Welfare road (welfare road )
Roundabout at former Eddie’s auto supply (A.Th Illidge road )
Area of Pizza ( Bush Road )
Through this information the Sint Maarten Police Force would again like to caution road users. A lot of the accidents happening can be avoided if everyone drove not only for themselves but also for the cars around them. Take heed the roadways are not your own avoid unnecessary collisions.
