(Published in The Cayman Reporter, June 28, 2017)
A Foster’s Food Fair IGA truck was caught driving wheely crazy by an eagle-eyed motorist who videod the erratic driving in Cayman.
The hair-raising clip was circulated across social media and shows the heavy goods vehicle driving so fast around the Island Heritage roundabout that the right side of the vehicle lifts entirely off the road.
Following the circulation of the video, Foster’s announced in a statement to media that the truck in question belongs to the supermarket chain and was being driven by one of its employees.
Julian Foster, Foster’s marketing senior manager, said that he was “deeply disappointed and alarmed by the situation,” a sentiment that was echoed across social media channels and on our website, caymanreporter.com
“This nonsense is happening every day on our roads and nothing is done. I drive about 200 miles a week and see ticketadle [sic] offences five times a day, how come I seem them and the police don’t?” said one commentator.
Another said: “He should be relieved of his duties for blatant negligence,” while another commentator stated that the driver “needs to be removed from driving. Innocent people could have been killed if the rig rolled over.”
The supermarket chain said that the driver was immediately removed from the roads and that disciplinary action will be taken. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service have also stated that they are investigating the matter.
“Foster’s IGA enforces a road safety policy which requires our drivers to drive five miles per hour below the speed limit,” a statement from Foster’s said. “Following this event, management will be taking action to reinforce and review current road safety practices to ensure all guideline are followed.”
The statement added: “Road safety is of utmost importance to the company, and we expect our drivers to follow all traffic and road laws at all times. Reckless driving is a problem in Grand Cayman, and we encourage the business community to use this incident as an example and to take necessary steps to review, enforce, and provide training to their employees. As a business community, we should all work to do our part in keeping Cayman’s roads safe.”
Jump in traffic offences
Last year, Cayman saw a jump in traffic offences. Traffic offences were up by 26 percent in 2016 compared to 2015, while traffic accidents saw a 7 percent spike.
There was a 12 percent increase in driving under the influence, while there was a 42 percent increase in speeding offences. Fatal accidents were the only area which saw a decrease, down 50 percent.
Joanna Lewis 