Two vehicles with their left-turn signals on were seen being passed on that side Tuesday, one by a scooter and the second by a quad. Luckily both motorists noticed in time and delayed their turn, but things could easily have ended very differently.
Experience has taught that should an accident occur the car driver is usually at fault in such cases, despite the blinker. People taking such a turn need to ensure the road is clear beforehand. Similarly, even if someone suddenly stops without warning, a collision from behind is almost always blamed on the rear party who must keep a safe distance.
While that seems logical enough, how can drivers in St. Maarten reasonably be expected to see in their mirror motorbike riders weaving in and out of traffic? The speed at which they tend to do so leaves dangerously little reaction time.
Mind you, certainly not all behave that way, but the prevailing practices among many have created a sense of lawlessness on the streets. For example, although wearing a helmet is mandatory, one would not get that impression when driving around.
Still on Tuesday, a scooter carrying three persons was spotted going up Cole Bay Hill. Another risky habit is putting children and even infants in front of the rider.
Police are not blind to the issue and regularly hold controls targeting bikers, who often lack the necessary vehicle documents and/or driver’s licence. A great number of scooters impounded for those reasons never get picked up and end up becoming a burden for authorities.
The intention here is not to single out motorbikes as the only traffic problem on the island and there is another side to this story, where lots of car drivers fail to sufficiently consider them as legitimate fellow road-users. However, bikers in general would do well to also behave as such and obey the rules.
To earn respect, one must be willing to give it too.
