Road Rage Killing

[Scorpio]

Well nobody else posted this story yesterday, but I see in today's report the shooter was released and not charged. I wasn't there and I don't know what took place, but in the end, a productive memeber of the community died because of something silly. This is not a good sign of the times on TNT's roads.


http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl ... =161227528 (http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161227528)


T&T 'one bad drive away' from deadly road rage

Road safety campaign group:

-Peter Christopher


Saturday, November 3rd 2007


THE DEATH of Marlon Gustav may not be seen as a common occurrence, but Kirk Waithe, president of road safety campaign group Arrive Alive, believed that the country was always "one bad drive" away from such an incident.

"I'm surprised it took so long for something this drastic to happen, they have always been cases of road rage, this is just the first one to reach the stage where a man was shot," said Waithe, who believes that similar incidents may follow if proper traffic management is not introduced soon.

Gustav chased after a motorist on Wednesday night after receiving a "bad drive" near the Port of Spain market. He followed the man along Wrightson Road until the cars stopped at a red traffic light. Gustav reportedly struck the offending driver with stones before the driver shot him in the chest with a licensed firearm.

Gustav owned Johnny's Food Drinks, a company which sold several drinks such as seamoss, linseed and coconut water to several supermarkets.

Officials from LB's Supermarket at Arouca and Real Value Supermarket at Mt Lambert, who knew Gustav through business transactions, said that they could not picture Gustav acting in such a manner.

The Express was unable to contact relatives or employees of Gustav yesterday.

A Glencoe businessman was held in connection with the incident but was released after the Director of Public Prosecutions ordered an enquiry into the shooting incident.

[scrunter]

This is sad.You know only last week my daughter come home after work and made the remark that she would not be surprise if someone just run amok one of these evening killing ah ppl because of road rage.

[saltwater]

The victim took the law into his own hands by coming out his vehicle and stoning down the other man's vehicle. he displayed thuggish behaviour which is rampant in Trinidad. When you want to do them kind of things you must be prepared for retaliation.

[kemist]

well according to the newspaper article it appears the shooter was defending himself.
but why shoot a stone thrower in the chest?
I can only think that if i was a buisnessman, and someone attacks me in that manner, i'd be worried about getting robbed or kidnapped. Regardless, the owner of a fireman should know the moral rules of engagement when using a firearm, which requires both disciplin and proper training.

On the driving issue, i believe most 'bad drivers' don't even know that they driving bad.

Taxi's i think have a 'liscence' to drive bad :lol:

And i believe there is a special place in hell reserved for people who drive slow on the right lane of the highways. :x

[Solachica]

:? I think I heard somewhere tht in self defense you have just one shot ...so it's saying i was defending myself and fired one shot..anymore and it wud be different.
I've seen people speed after other people on the road after getting a bad drive. Road range is not uncommon.....all the cussing people does do when they driving...ent tht is road rage? :roll:

[sheppy]

THis was self defense... the guy was apparently about to throw another stone....
but it seems strange that this guy just goes into a fit of rage and begins to throw stones at another person.....it just goes to show we all need therapy from this traffic and irresponsible drivers....holding in all this frustration and rage....

if the guy threw the stone and killed the other guy....wuddn't that be worse? a firearm is a great responsiblity and one must think quickly, assess the situation and use it wisely. Above all, it should be for self -presevation...from all accounts this was so

[scrunter]

In order to get a firearm ent you have to go on the range and learn how to use it...could he shoot his attacker on the shoulder or somewhere else ...not fatally.....I duh no just thinking out aloud.

[KFCSpicy]

he had a right to drive off...red light or no red light. We always have a choice to make. I sure he cud dodge big stone he chose to play God and use he firearm. Fire bun dem so! I hope he goes to jail. It would have been better for him to get a ticket and a fine for running a red light and let the stone pelter be the one to deal with the devil but he took it upon himself to take a life...on de premise dat de man was throwing stone at him? let he haul he spluddahs month wid dat b.s.

Ah fed up of people thinking they can do what de hell dey please and then hide behind the laws of this land. Self defense? Then he shuddah do like de song say Tek weh heself.

Muddah rass needs to go to jail for manslaughter i say.

[Maccogirl]

How come the nation does not know who is the individual that committed this act as yet, a man is dead we all know he was a juice vendor but all we know about the other person is that he is a glenco businessman, is there some kind of cover up with thing?

[KFCSpicy]

^^^that is true. waiittttttttttttttttttt he is a Glenco Business man? So they protecting him from the public? These are things that all yuh shud be publicly and very loudly demanding and asking. If he was some piss tail from lahvanteee long time he rotting in jail and the whole world know he drawse colour, what de neighbour did say about him, how much picknee he did have and doh mine and he religion and skin colour and address with a picture too.

Rubbish so and so Trini dread.

[Maccogirl]

I agree KFC if it was the other way around all now the media would be on this like files telling us he is a CEPEP worker and there is some kind of gang thing going on in Glenco over the selling of juice or what ever they would link it to. He kill a man be it in self defense or not and he out free driving around in his "Frontier" as if he bounce some stray dog in the road, no questions asked.

The media gone quiet like this thing never happened while one family looking for answers as to what happened, they say the man damage this glenco man shoulder with a big stone but yet he was able to shoot off his gun and kill this man? Something not right in this thing at all, and I saying some one covering up this thing and fast :roll:

[KFCSpicy]

Yeah! But discussing it to death on the Forum not helping. I think the powers that be are the ones to be told of our concerns. Where are the letter writers? Oh I forgot...voting season done so no one gives a damn anymore.

Hypocrites. :|

[kemist]

In order to get a firearm ent you have to go on the range and learn how to use it...could he shoot his attacker on the shoulder or somewhere else ...not fatally.....I duh no just thinking out aloud.


yes scrunter, it is required to go on the range and receive training, but i dont know the minimum # of hrs that is mandatory. I know some people who got their firearms after just three weeks!. Even after you get a firearm, it is up to you to continue training. At the beginning, its fun to train 3 times a week but after some time, it gets put off. I know a few buisnessmen who have firearms, but only go to the range once a month.

[trinisuckz]

The Businessman acted in self defence!

Every firearm user is taught dont draw unless you plan to you it. And thats exaclty what he did!

I think MORE businessmen should be granted an essential Fire arm!

its only fair with the level of Hatred and crime that exists in Trinidad now!

[Scorpio]

As K said the businessman could have driven off rather than shoot the man to kill, he was up high bec he was driving a Frontier, why he didn't just roll up de window (the window was obviously down when he fired) The same effort it would have taken to draw that gun, position himself to shoot, aim, and pull the trigger, it would have taken less effort to just drive off....

Giving a gun to every arsehole businessman in the name of defending themselves is not the answer....

Now, suppose the dead man have some partners and they decide to ride for Mr. Glencoe ?

[KFCSpicy]

hence the reason he name not being published or he race or where he wukking or comments from he neighbour and de police. Once u have money in trinidad you safe to kill is only when u poor and living in certain parts yuh killing is deemed evil and uncalled for. :evil:

[Scorpio]

God don't sleep K.

[trinisuckz]

hence the reason he name not being published or he race or where he wukking or comments from he neighbour and de police. Once u have money in trinidad you safe to kill is only when u poor and living in certain parts yuh killing is deemed evil and uncalled for. :evil:

So you prefer they publish the businessmans name and address, then what? he and his family become the victim of a revenge killing?
Wake up people!- its Trinidad- its reaching a suitation where you Kill or be killed- other wise you end up being the victim of the revenge killing!
Its not that the man has money or anythihg like that- this is the typical attitude that keeps trinidad third world status.
You fail to condemn the man who attacked the innocent Businessman, but when the businessman acted in self defence you want a hanging!- why because a businessman from a certain is deemed rich so anything he does a poor man is BAD?
You people amaze me!

[KFCSpicy]

sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

People does wake up with chips on dey shoulder ah wah?

Why yuh doh go and read the thread from the beginning and get a better grasp of what most people think.

So you suss out what wrong with Trinidad? And is people like "me" who thinks that the obvious bias dealt here is not symptomatic of the problems in Trinidad but just me tryna be onesided in my views?

Well hun I done see from your name you kinda confused so I go leave u to wonder what I thinking and what I mean or yuh cud carry on and think for meh seeing as yuh done start in that vain ah ready. Big up and give yuh mouth liberty.

PS

The only thing that wrong with people in Trinidad is their heads buried in the sand mentality cause crime is an international thing is how u go about trying to solve it and understand it. And just to give you food for thought (seeing as not much thinking going on here) one of the reasons that the justice statue is blindfolded when displayed is to indicate that the law is blind to all things like race, culture, money and where you live and was born. Feed on that then ask yuh self why when every other crime committed in Trinidad they does print pictures and information that is deemed harmful to the persons yet in this particular case they did not.

:roll: meh phobia have meh stressed cause too many initiators of it online today.

[trinisuckz]

the justice system in Trinidad does need serious attention i agree.

The police are very understaffed and under resourced! and its the govts fault.
The courts in TRinidad are way to lack logged, and half of the time people and the appropriate individuals do not show in court.
Crime is an international thing YEs indeed but per capita- this should not be happening in SMALL trinidad in such an abundance- you sound as silly as MArtin Joesph- its obvious that hes a HUGE FAILURE as a minister and its we the people that feel the punishment!
Crime can be addressed properly- it just takes the right dummies in power to actually care and do something!

[Scorpio]

Wake up people!- its Trinidad- its reaching a suitation where you Kill or be killed-

This is the second time this week that a poster has reminded me of the George Orwell book, Animal Farm where the other animals looked at the pigs and then looked at the humans and could not tell them apart.

Trini really does suck, yes. :roll:

[KFCSpicy]

trini u shud change yuh name to isuckz-bigtime.

Whether or not u agree with my comments is par for the course but refrain from casting yuh limited aspersions as to whether I silly or not. yuh tail just cant argue properly or discuss anything without getting all hot and dohtish with it.

If you cant discuss or debate then i suggest u go to the only person that would listen or care about your concerns...de mirror image.

that said and done I eh have nothing more to say to u or in regards to your posts from here and now this should make you extremely happy.

Seeing as you can do better than Mr. Martin Joseph then you need to get out of the forum and get off yuh arse and do something instead of mouthing off about how others who actually making an effort (whether they fail or not) to solve the crime situation.

The situation can never be solved it can only be diminished to please the population on the whole. when you can do that then come back and open up yuh craw. Geez ah cyah stand people who like to talk and dey cyah offer yuh no respite to your problems but love to blame government for everything.

This is not a political forum so take yuh concerns there about the minister we talking about the Road Rage killing incident....need i remind you? Whey de effing foe button dread? Ah cyah take dese energy draining people no more. :evil:

[trinisuckz]

oh well, doesnt not bother me! its one less Road ENraged danger to society to worry about!

Money know what tree to climb and well, the enraged man who threw the first stone got exactly what he deserved!

just how i feel!

[KFCSpicy]

moving along sensibly now.... :roll:

We all respect that you think that Trini but just take it from someone like me who fiesty as ever it nah worth de headache arguing on here and with other forumites.

So don't u think Trini that the shooter used too much force in this situation? Or do u think it was adequate given the fact that he would have had to take the safety off and aim and further more get the gun out so he obviously had time to think before he acted and he still chose to act like a god and take life.

[Scorpio]

I remember growing up, one of my dad's friends had a chicken farm in Brazil, and he was getting hit by literal fowl thieves almost every night, until one night he got his shotgun and hid in the chicken pen and waited for the theif and surely enough, the thief turned up, grabbed some chickens put them in a bag, threw the bag over his shoulder and started running off, only to be stopped in his tracks by shotgun barrell pointed straight at him....

Well, inspite of all his rage, the farmer just could not bring himself to pull the trigger and take a man's life for a bag of chicken. So he let the man go, although shooting him would have been ok according to law.

We always have a choice. Just bec you have the law on your side and you can shoot a man dead, doesn't mean you have to.

[trinisuckz]

[quote="Scorpio"]Well nobody else posted this story yesterday, but I see in today's report the shooter was released and not charged. I wasn't there and I don't know what took place, but in the end, a productive memeber of the community died because of something silly. This is not a good sign of the times on TNT's roads.


http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl ... =161227528 (http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161227528)

[quote] T&T 'one bad drive away' from deadly road rage

productive member of the community? since when does a man who in a Rage pick up a Big stone to kill a man for a supposed bad drive be hailed as a productive member of the community?


So why didnt this productive "innocent poor man" come out of the vehicle and talk to the businesman? Why did he have to Act so violentlytowards him?
Why did he threaten the businessman in such a vile manner?
And what the businessman in reply should take another big stone to head?

[KFCSpicy]

I remember growing up, one of my dad's friends had a chicken farm in Brazil, and he was getting hit by literal fowl thieves almost every night, until one night he got his shotgun and hid in the chicken pen and waited for the theif and surely enough, the thief turned up, grabbed some chickens put them in a bag, threw the bag over his shoulder and started running off, only to be stopped in his tracks by shotgun barrell pointed straight at him....

Well, inspite of all his rage, the farmer just could not bring himself to pull the trigger and take a man's life for a bag of chicken. So he let the man go, although shooting him would have been ok according to law.

We always have a choice. Just bec you have the law on your side and you can shoot a man dead, doesn't mean you have to.

I could not have phrased it better Scorpee.

[trinisuckz]

i wish that Trinidad would relax their firearm laws and make it legal to SHOOt a bandit in their backs!

there would be alot less bandits in TRinidad if it was law!

[KFCSpicy]

just more murderers right? :roll:

[Scorpio]

Well nobody else posted this story yesterday, but I see in today's report the shooter was released and not charged. I wasn't there and I don't know what took place, but in the end, a productive memeber of the community died because of something silly. This is not a good sign of the times on TNT's roads.


http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl ... =161227528 (http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161227528)


T&T 'one bad drive away' from deadly road rage

productive member of the community? since when does a man who in a Rage pick up a Big stone to kill a man for a supposed bad drive be hailed as a productive member of the community?


So why didnt this productive "innocent poor man" come out of the vehicle and talk to the businesman? Why did he have to Act so violentlytowards him?
Why did he threaten the businessman in such a vile manner?
And what the businessman in reply should take another big stone to head?


Hold up !!!! Don't put words in my mouth, breds..I never used those words in red above ^^ to describe the dead man.

If you can't argue your point dispassionately without sensationalizing what I wrote, then please don't bother to quote my posts. :twisted:

Where allyuh does really come from boi ?? :twisted:

[KFCSpicy]

So I am guessing that you would come upon a bandit and talk sensibly to him and not react violently to the situation? Or is that you want the gun as a trinket to light yuh ciggarette? Make up your mind nah dread. Is either the stone pelter was wrong to be mad and pelt stone or he was a victim. Yuh want the stone pelter to get mad and talk sensibly to de rich businessman but yuh want to be able to shoot a teef in de back?

Sigh! As I said earlier....energy draining discussion here.

[Scorpio]

just more murderers right? :roll:


K, Doh take him on, he just trying to rile yuh up, nobody could really be so stupid to really think dat shooting ppl in they back should be legal :roll:

[KFCSpicy]

:?

[Scorpio]

^^ ok, I edited my post above to clarify what I meant. :oops:

[trinisuckz]

hence the reason he name not being published or he race or where he wukking or comments from he neighbour and de police. Once u have money in trinidad you safe to kill is only when u poor and living in certain parts yuh killing is deemed evil and uncalled for. :evil:

Scorpio- i did nto QUOTE you as saying Poor man , i quoted your original article!

KFC on the other hand is quoted as saying what i was inferring .

Why is it that YOU all still do not find Fault in the Stone throwers actions??? his actions were justified?

The businessman was protecting himself! end of story. He goes free, the Initiator of the entire orderl got what he deserved!

he would not be dead today if he had not threatened someones life over a "supposed bad drive"

[KFCSpicy]

ummm no where in my sentence did i say de man was poor and innocent eh padnah. So slow yuh roll wid de misquotes.

Apparently u skip de first page of this thread altogether and just dive een like nobody's business eager to share your blood lust. Well do u padnahhhhhhh but doh be misquoting nobody.

[trinisuckz]

Well the fact remains that a few of you still refuse to Acknowledge that the Stone throwers Initial VIOLENT Actions were Uncalled for and wrong to begin with in the first place!

:roll:

[KFCSpicy]

sigh...yuh realllllllllllllllllllll not reading before yuh talk dread. But ok whatever u say hun! :D

[trinisuckz]

by the way KFC- hows the weather there in London?

8-)

[Scorpio]

hence the reason he name not being published or he race or where he wukking or comments from he neighbour and de police. Once u have money in trinidad you safe to kill is only when u poor and living in certain parts yuh killing is deemed evil and uncalled for. :evil:

Scorpio- i did nto QUOTE you as saying Poor man , i quoted your original article!

KFC on the other hand is quoted as saying what i was inferring .

Why is it that YOU all still do not find Fault in the Stone throwers actions??? his actions were justified?

The businessman was protecting himself! end of story. He goes free, the Initiator of the entire orderl got what he deserved!

he would not be dead today if he had not threatened someones life over a "supposed bad drive"

(scorpio takes a deep breath, exhales and then takes another deep breath).......

.....ok, let's do this one more time, shall we ? .....

Where in this thread did I say I do not find fault with the stone thrower's actions ? (and you did say YOU all, which I assume includes me)

[Scorpio]

hence the reason he name not being published or he race or where he wukking or comments from he neighbour and de police. Once u have money in trinidad you safe to kill is only when u poor and living in certain parts yuh killing is deemed evil and uncalled for. :evil:

Scorpio- i did nto QUOTE you as saying Poor man , i quoted your original article!

KFC on the other hand is quoted as saying what i was inferring .

Why is it that YOU all still do not find Fault in the Stone throwers actions??? his actions were justified?

The businessman was protecting himself! end of story. He goes free, the Initiator of the entire orderl got what he deserved!

he would not be dead today if he had not threatened someones life over a "supposed bad drive"

You know, I starting to really believe you just playing games here eh, Trinisuckz. Nevertheless, you actually made me go back and read the article, and guess what ? The article DID NOT say anything about poor innocent man either.

..and btw, this is not "my article"...

:roll:

[KFCSpicy]

by the way KFC- hows the weather there in London?

8-)

Frigging cold and wet and getting dark by 4 o'clock everyday as its Autumn time. Yuh happy? :?

Oh and it rained today but I eh get wet as everytime I came out from a station on my way to and from my job the rain had jess finished. Oh also they doing road works in Holborn where I work so de traffic not helping de commuting. DLR had no current yesterday because of de lil rain...and this is a first world country eh?

Next question Short stuff ;)

[KFCSpicy]

I thought this thread defunct but it's just forgotten.

I was watching tv just now and a man killed another man after following him for 20 minutes by cab just because the man was a black man who stole his cab. Anyways, the issue here is not race, but what the Police officer said about it. "Having a gun does not imply premeditation by all means but driving around with it on your person implies a calculated need to use it eventually. The gun itself was kept loaded" The attorney for the state said the man had 20 minutes in which to cool down. In this case of the stone throwing and the driver, I still hold that the driver could have driven off if a man out of his vehicle pelting u and u still in it. The man was obviously driving around with his loaded gun too.

To me this sums up this case. He should have been arrested but say what ent? If not in this life time he go pay for he murdering ways in another. :mrgreen:

[dancerboy]

Well the fact remains that a few of you still refuse to Acknowledge that the Stone throwers Initial VIOLENT Actions were Uncalled for and wrong to begin with in the first place!

:roll: WITH ALL RESPECT TO YOU MY FRIEND, HOW DO YOU EQUATE A GUN WITH A STONE ? ARE TRINIS WITH A LICENSE TO CARRY A GUN WILL SHOOT AT THE SLIGHTEST SLIGHTEST PROVOCATION ? WITH YOUR THINKING, THERE WILL NOT BE TOO MANY PEOPLE LIVING IN TRINIDAD BY 20/20. CRIME WILL BE REDUCED.


DANCERBOY

[KFCSpicy]

so will be the population too Dancer if we allow sykohs passing themselves off as disgruntled innocent citizens guns

[deathwinger]

I remember growing up, one of my dad's friends had a chicken farm in Brazil, and he was getting hit by literal fowl thieves almost every night, until one night he got his shotgun and hid in the chicken pen and waited for the theif and surely enough, the thief turned up, grabbed some chickens put them in a bag, threw the bag over his shoulder and started running off, only to be stopped in his tracks by shotgun barrell pointed straight at him....

Well, inspite of all his rage, the farmer just could not bring himself to pull the trigger and take a man's life for a bag of chicken. So he let the man go, although shooting him would have been ok according to law.

We always have a choice. Just bec you have the law on your side and you can shoot a man dead, doesn't mean you have to.


All he doing is tiefin chicken, nothing wrong with a PNM supporter not being able to buy his KFC. Slap he upside he head or make him taste the fertile soil for a while, but not kill him.

Now if he was shooting your son and raping your daughter and he come with nines, G unit shirt and NY cap, and you see he was ready to loot and shoot, and he try to buss shot at you. Let him collect it in he chest so he feel it before he goes to his heaven in the 7th circle of hell. :lol: :lol:

[Infinity]

This is a sad story, but this happens all the time in Canada. People in Canada are the worst drivers I have ever encountered. Don't expect anyone to do anything about it, police too busy busy with other things.

[quentin]

Sad to say and accept that an individual has lost his live in this situation.
We are humans and we think rationally. and or irrationally.
From previous comments on this forum.
We do live in a society that is care less or careless. and some can control their behaviour and stay calm ( think rationally) as well become enraged ( irrationally) when exposed in any given situation.
What we can learn from this occurence and from both of these individuals that we can try ( make and effort)to avoid this from occuring.(repeated).
My suggestion we should have some program(s) or courses available to individuals (.young or old) to think rationally.
We are all to blame for this cause we are members of this society and we should try with some effort to avoid this from being repeated..
Control our temper and be more patient and have more respect for another one's life. and limbs
Hope I did not offend anyone.
If I did it was not intentional and or personal
My apology
Thank You
Q

[wandelaar]

Amen to that!

[quentin]

I have been away from the island for 34 years and now am in Traffic Saferty.. both in (Commercial and Novice) for 16 years period

Returned to the Island in 06. I was observing one of friends there were driving 110kph on an 80kph posted speed area Was told, if he drove at the speed limit he would cause an accident...This occured north on the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway, and to observed that other operators were whizzing by us as though we were at a stand still.
Then on our returned on the Highway, it was a (conjested) Traffic Jam. ..individuaks were passing us on the shoulders.
I would need information , from any one as to how I (with others) introduce (educational)programs in safe operation of a motorised vehicle on the roads in the islands..to assist in reducing traffic deaths .. most recently the police officer that died on the same highway around 6:ooam.. that was thrown from his vehicle not wearing his seat belt .
This is how I would assist in decreacing the "road rage" issue and incidents that cost the loss of lives and injury occuring .
Please note this would be on both of the Islands
Thank you
Q

[Sirius]

Talk about dredging up an old topic. :lol:


Returned to the Island in 06. I was observing one of friends there were driving 110kph on an 80kph posted speed area Was told, if he drove at the speed limit he would cause an accident...This occured north on the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway, and to observed that other operators were whizzing by us as though we were at a stand still.
Then on our returned on the Highway, it was a (conjested) Traffic Jam. ..individuaks were passing us on the shoulders.
I would need information , from any one as to how I (with others) introduce (educational)programs in safe operation of a motorised vehicle on the roads in the islands..to assist in reducing traffic deaths .. most recently the police officer that died on the same highway around 6:ooam.. that was thrown from his vehicle not wearing his seat belt .
This is how I would assist in decreacing the "road rage" issue and incidents that cost the loss of lives and injury occuring .
Please note this would be on both of the Islands
Thank you
Q

Your friend was quite right about causing an accident if he drove the speed limit. If you drive 80 on the major freeways such as the Beetham and Churchill Roosevelt, Uriah Buttler/Solomon Hochoy stretches, you will have people glued to your bumper and cutting in and out in front of you. Abroad I have noticed similar stretches have limits of 100 and 110 km/h posted on them. The road is simply too straight, too long and too wide for 80 to NOT feel like a snail's pace. I for one believe that we need to revisit some of our speed limits. This 80 highway, 50 city thing is outdated. Nonstop highways like the Beetham and Solomon Hochoy should be 110 zones and downtown POS should be about 40!

People driving on the shoulders is largely an issue of lack of impatience and a lack of discipline. Violators do not lose points off their license; they simply get a ticket which they easily pay off - if they're unlucky enough to actually get caught. However, a large part of the problem is the fact that we have so much standstill traffic on our highways in the first place. Remove the temptation by ridding the highways of traffic lights - allow traffic to move freely non-stop on the highways.

What you failed to mention though is the wanton breaking of traffic lights. However, increased police presence and cameras may be the answer to that problem. Don't forget as well our very poor road conditions in some areas. While the highways are decent enough, many major roadways have gaping holes and warped surfaces that beg for an accident to happen.

I am not trying to dissuade you from educating people. I think education is extremely important and I think you may want to start by visiting secondary schools around the country, working with providers of defensive driving courses to offer discounts to companies willing to train their employees, and perhaps some sort of internet or television based awareness programme.

However, I also think that one of the biggest ways to increase traffic safety is to improve the infrastructure - better road surfaces, overpasses to replace highway traffic lights, revised speed limits, barricaded sidewalks, etc. Once that is done, create better enforcement of the new policies through speeding radars, traffic light cameras, increased police presence, license points, etc.

[Scorpio]

The way people bad drive in Trinidad I am surprised there isn't more road rage killings, but it may just be a matter of time before it starts happening more often.

[quentin]

Hi Sirius.
You do have a general idea. You have taken the time and some serious thinking. I would assume that you care.
.I would first try and reduce the volume of traffic on the roads. Improving the transportation system with timely use of the buses (routes) in an efficent way, betwix the major centers. in reference to Port of Spain. San Fernado. Point Fortin, Arima, Sande Grande. Diego Martin to name a few. Then commuters would rather use the system , if in place and is efficent.. Then the volume of traffic would be reduced and the traffic violations. An implentation of educational programs. to individuals that are in the process of acquiring their operators license , the ones that already have and have any traffic violations to be commited and placed in one of these programs, with Trianed and Certified personnel facilitating these cources.
Most government services are in the Capital.. I would contact the Head of Urban Planning and suggest that a dispersal of these offices be in different centers that commuters would not all converge on the Capital to work.
The Island (Trinidad)I do understand is approx 3000 sq kms and pop of 1.3 million(I do stand to be corrected) Most of residents. 50%+ reside on the western section of the island..
I am sure we can use the existung layout of the highway system as is and work from that point,
Thank you
Q