Last Thursday’s operation dubbed “Farady” by Gendarmes targetting two-wheelers in Cripple Gate (see Tuesday newspaper) confirmed that many riders are not respecting the law. They found two driving without a licence, three without a number plate and one under the influence of drugs, while one refused to cooperate and another not wearing a helmet attempted to flee but was caught and detained.
What this again shows is that such specific controls on scooters, motorcycles and quads are necessary nowadays, also across the open border on the Dutch side. Their role in both local crimes and accidents no doubt warrants extra attention.
In Monday’s edition the Police Force of St. Maarten KPSM noted that two of the three road fatalities in 2020 involved two-wheelers, while for 2021 it was three out of nine. If one looks at how many more cars there are, the conclusion seems clear.
To be fair, none of five deadly accidents in 2022 involved two-wheelers, while in 2023 only one of three concerned an all terrain vehicle (ATV). Nevertheless, it is obvious that bikers are more vulnerable in case of crashes simply because they have less protection.
This is why wearing a helmet is not only compulsory but a no-brainer. Doing so can greatly help limit head injuries.
Some say the latter is a risk they choose to take, but rules are also made by society to prevent people from hurting themselves, for their own good. A well-known example is the mandatory wearing of seatbelts in cars.
During a recent general control between 12:30am and 4:00am along Walter A. Nisbeth Road in Philipsburg one of four scooters stopped was confiscated for lack of valid documentation. As argued earlier in this column, those not in compliance should indeed be immediately removed from the streets.
Zero tolerance.
