“Persons On Motorcycles Failing To Stop”
Over the past week the Bermuda Police Service said they have “seen an uptick in persons on motorcycles failing to stop, evading police and travelling at excessive speeds.”
A spokesperson said, “There were three such incidents on Thursday evening alone. These incidents which are dangerous to all involved, are of great concern. Subjects later arrested in relation to these matters will appear before the courts in due time.”
Assistant Commissioner of Police Martin Weekes said: “Individuals fleeing from police by driving at high rates of speed, pose a significant threat to the safety and well-being of not only those involved in the situation, but also to other motorists as well as members of the public.”
The spokesperson said, “Police officers are trained to ensure their response to drivers who choose to flee is appropriate and proportionate to the level of risk posed and safety of the officers themselves and other road users is always a priority.
“This means officers will at times, end a pursuit if it is determined poses that level of risk that is out of proportion to the offences committed.
“The public is reminded that under the Road Traffic Act 1947, the driver of a vehicle on any road shall, when requested to do so by a police officer or when a police officer signals to him to do so, immediately bring the vehicle to a stop and keep it stationary until the police officer permits him to proceed.
“A police officer may give a signal to stop a vehicle by raising his hand or by waving from side to side a red light. Any person who fails to comply with any such request or signal commits an offence against this Act.”
What do you expect when judges let people who run over a soldier on duty at high speed, commit hit and run, running into the trees and lying to evade justice, off with appalingly light “sentences”?
They have no worry about magistrates and penalties because the cops have been ignoring this lunacy for decades. The attitude of doing whatever they want without getting caught is inter generational now.
“Over the past week the Bermuda Police Service said they have “seen an uptick in persons on motorcycles failing to stop, evading police and travelling at excessive speeds.””
Over the past week? OVER THE PAST WEEK? Is our Police Service staffed by Ostriches? This has been going on for more than a decade! I have been complaining about it for years! The “Rules of the Road” are mere suggestions these days.
Maybe if the Bermuda Police Service had patrolled the roads and enforced the law continuously for the last 15 years, riders and drivers would not feel empowered to ignore the law!
And it’s not just motor cycles and auxiliary cycles, it’s cars and vans too.
If we have a speed limit of 35 kph and the police don’t prosecute for 55 kph or under, we surely must be a complete laughing stock worldwide. Despite the obvious consideration to raise the speed limit in Bermuda, we have politicians claiming if we raise it people will just drive faster. NO not true. Raise the speed limit to 50 kph and book everyone for 51 and above. That’s how it works in the real world.
50kph used to be the threshold limit. It must be 70kph or 80kph now.
If the speed limit is raised, people will go faster. Everywhere I have traveled the police always give some leeway (usually around 10% over the speed limit). It seems only fair. Someone could have a faulty speedometer.
You took the words right out of my mouth…..PAST WEEK? Past decade!