It seems there were an average of more than four road accidents per day in February on the Dutch side or 124 in total (see Tuesday paper). Without comparable statistics readily at hand one would be inclined to think that is quite many for such a relatively small territory.
As the January figure was similar, this appears to be the norm. Accidents with scooters were a common theme and usually caused by their riders’ risky behaviour.
However, the majority regard cars and most accidents occurring between 12:00 and 1:00pm last month indicates that in many cases it involves driving to and from work, school and/or home. Streets are usually congested during those peak hours, so often hurried motorists tend to get impatient and act accordingly.
This not only leads to unnecessary collisions but takes away from the courtesy in traffic St. Maarten was always known for. The latter is one of the things that affords visitors the comfort to roam “The Friendly Island” so freely by vehicle, certainly not a given in all vacation destinations.
But the best reason to stay calm is that getting upset makes absolutely no sense. A metre here or there, a few minutes earlier or later is the most difference one may hope for, because the local infrastructure simply was not built for speed.
How often does one not see motorists overtaking others, only to meet them again at the next busy roundabout or intersection? In addition to accidents, stress can also kill, and nobody is going anywhere real fast, so please try to take it easy.
