Speeders beware! Radar guns now in use
Yesterday’s near fatal accident in Belize City is only one more demonstration that Belizean drivers are among the most irresponsible to be found on any road. One reason for this lack of discipline is that for as long as most of us can remember, it has been virtually impossible for a motorist to be stopped for a moving violation. But that era of highway freedom, as I found out this afternoon, is about to become part of history.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Although the police did not get to stop this driver travelling at eighty-two miles in a fifty-five mile per hour zone, the radar gun was able to clock the violation in seconds. Nine days after the equipment was put into use, a number of drivers have been pulled off the Western and Northern highways.
Inspector Leslie Logan, Dep. O.C., Traffic Branch
“Since the operation has been in effect, we are warning people of the dangers of driving and the offence they have committed. And we always remind them that safety first.”
“Normally what we do we warn them with a summons or we issue them with a summons to appear in court to answer charges to answer charges of excess speeding.”
The Deputy Officer in Charge of Traffic Branch, Inspector Leslie Logan, says because the speed gun also locks in the number recorded, there is little room for disagreements.
Inspector Leslie Logan
“Whenever we use the radar gun, we would show the speed to the driver and normally they would accept the speed there were driving. What we find out is that they always correspond with the speed we are seeing on the radar gun.”
Motorists travelling on the Northern Highway from the Haulover Bridge to Belize City must adhere to the fifteen and twenty-five speed limits posted along the route. Although northern commuters may find these low speeds an inconvenience, Logan advises all drivers to obey the traffic signs. He also suggests that even where the posted speed limit is fifty-five, motorists are asked to reduce the speed when passing through roadside communities, especially on the Western Highway.
Inspector Leslie Logan
“As soon as they are passing through a village of populate area, then the speed limit is only twenty-five miles for hour for cars and pickups and fifteen for trucks and buses.”
Although this evening’s operation had police officers walking across the Western Highway to stop speeding motorists, Logan says they normally use patrol vehicles positioned at strategic locations to pull over drivers.
Inspector Leslie Logan
“Not only in the Belize District we are operating at this time, as regularly we go out to Belmopan, Orange Walk, and Corozal and we take the radar gun and we do operations out there. For the motorists, I would say to them, cut your speed because speed kills.”
Presently there are only two radar guns in operation. Motorists who want to take their chances will have to figure out exactly where they are on any given day.
