Insp Josepha: Driving away from a scene of a traffic accident is punishable act.

Overview of traffic accidents in January 2021

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The Sint Maarten Police Force did a retrospective of the different types of traffic accidents that took place on the Dutch side of the island, in the month of January 2021. There were more than 130 road accidents registered with the (KPSM) in the period of January 1st and January 28^th 2021. The most of these vehicle accidents occurred between the times of 10:00 am and 04.00 pm, on different locations 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. The most common type of accident that was recorded was as follows:

• Rear-end collisions
• Accidents caused by drivers reversing onto the driving lane
• Hit and Run (by scooters/ motorcycle riders)
• Head-on collisions

Below is the list of the most accident prone areas over the month of January:

Again, it was revealed that 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. 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.

Drivers of motor vehicles can become distracted behind the wheel for a variety of reasons .Often accidents happen because drivers are busy with activity that diverts his /her attention from driving, like talking or texting on their phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in their vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system .

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.

Hit and Run

The phenomenon that the police have observed over the last few months is “Hit-and-Run”.  Drivers of scooters and motorcyclists who are involved in a traffic accident have now adopted the habit of driving off after hitting or damaging another vehicle. Driving away from a scene of a traffic accident is punishable act.

This is stipulated in article 9 of the Sint Maarten Traffic ordinance, (Wegenverkeers verordening van Sint Maarten).

This article forbids two things: driving on after a traffic accident in which someone has died or has suffered injury or damage, without having revealed your identity. In addition, you may not leave anyone in a helpless state after an accident. In both cases, it is irrelevant whether or not you are at fault for the accident. After an accident, you must remain at the scene.