TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Cracking down on cycles \ robberies

“It’s crazy, these young people not wearing crash helmets, going full speed with no regard for other users on the road. But I’m here to try and solve this problem. There will be more controls, yes, but we are taking a different approach to it with new methods. It will be combined with more campaigns and awareness programmes in the schools.

When you consider the ratio of fatalities to the population number, eight deaths (five from two-wheelers) is quite a graphic statistic.”

https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islan...efts-top-priorities-for-commandant-basso

It would be great if they could get a handle on the scooters..

That will only work IF the culprits are in school and my bet is most are not. I wish him luck.

Exactly. The ones I see are hanging around in the streets during the day...certainly not in school.

They are finally cracking down on reckless driving on Long Island. I witness reckless driving daily and it is out of control both in NY and in SXM. https://abc7ny.com/traffic/video-reckless-driving-caught-on-camera-leads-to-arrest/1395159/

Maybe. when they raise the drinking age it may help somewhat. Hope so.

I really don't think drinking has much to do with it and this story is from the French side, which already was 18. The problem seems to be that there are no rules for these scooters, as far as they are concerned. They have no drivers' licenses, no insurance, no helmets, often no tags, doing wheelies through the middle of traffic and there is no enforcement of any laws. And if you look at crime reports, so often the perpetrator rides away on a scooter.

You got it! A MAJOR crackdown would do more than any education programs. Word of mouth of STRICT enforcement would be the best thing to happen and is cheap.

Totally agree.....

It's not just the Caribbean.

Here's a link to an even worse problem in London, where Police have been forced to use extreme tactics:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...lice-started-ramming-suspects-bikes.html

That tactic would never work here in the states because that level of enforcement is potentially equal to deadly force. Ever wonder why police don't use the "Stop Sticks" or ram a motorcycle when they are chasing them is due to the fact that the end result of that action could/would be death to the operator. England doesn't have that pesky document called a CONSTITUTION with the associated Bill of Rights.