Dear Editor,
Driving around on our island is at times interesting and but often frustrating due to the total disregard of the laws and lack of care by many road users.
I always say to my wife that indicators on cars on Sint Maarten are optional extras because few drivers care to use them, letting the other drivers guess as to where they go next.
When you collect friends or family from the side of the road, why pull over if you can just stop in the middle and let other road users wait? I understand that at times there is no room to pull off the road but why not collect them at a spot where it is safe and you don’t inconvenience the other drivers, or at least give the impression that you try to do this quickly. That includes our professional buses who appear to make a feeble attempt to pull over.
The use of roundabouts is also interesting since there are supposed to be two lanes despite the lack of road markings on many of those. Another guessing game as to where these drivers go next.
Another issue is letting traffic into the opposite lane from the side streets when you drive on a main road, a very noble thing to do but when the traffic from the other direction is bumper to bumper why would you let another car into that lane crossing yours resulting in the traffic from both sides coming to a standstill? There are times you give way to other road users, but you always observe the traffic situation first.
I have had conversations with other drivers where we disagreed about certain traffic situations and was advised that I need to be more tolerant. Why is it always the driver that upholds the rules and drives correctly is the one that needs to be tolerant rather than the one pushing their luck over and again and get away with it.
The unfortunate lack of visual policing on the island ensures there are no consequences for the transgressors, and they will continue to do as they like
Thank God that most St. Maarteners are so tolerant, because with these driving skills, we would not do so well in many other countries where road rage is a daily occurrence.
A little respect towards other road users will go a long way to improve our traffic situation.
Rene Lammerse
