Sandy Bank Primary School -- Caution

Treasure Beach Forum: TB Runnin's: Sandy Bank Primary School -- Caution
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By joe Shannon on Thursday, February 24, 2005 - 08:52 am: Edit Post

Because the fence is down paralleling the road next to Sandy Bank, the children are often using it as a "short cut". Yesterday (Wed, 23 Feb) some children ran out this way, down the incline and out into the street as school let out. A car had to swerve to avoid them.

Please, ask people to slow down around the school. Cars are always traveling extremely fast past the school. With the fence as a "soon come" project, it is a very dangerous situation.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Canada/Frenchman on Thursday, February 24, 2005 - 10:28 am: Edit Post

Rebecca it would nice to post a sign that says school zone, please slow down, however half of the drivers might not be able to read it, lets save the children and think of another way to get the drivers to understand that in all school zone they MUST drive slowly. A speed might might be a good alternative.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By concerned mama on Thursday, February 24, 2005 - 05:12 pm: Edit Post

I have two children attending the school and this is one of the reasons(speeding vehicles) they don't walk to or from school.

How would others in the community feel about putting in two sleeping policemen (speed bumps) near enough to the school to slow down traffic?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Doctor James on Saturday, February 26, 2005 - 05:14 am: Edit Post

Treasure Beach has the first volunteer ambulance corps in Jamaica, an incredible accomplishment and a role model for other communities. But the most important act is to prevent the ambulance from being needed. Driving in Treasure Beach is horrible -- for a community that offers so much, drivers give so little respect to pedestrians, who are friends and neighbors. People drive drunk, they dont use seatbelts, and they speed regularly. Any act to prevent road injuries will have a positive impact. Put up speed limit signs, put speed bumps around the schools, punish drunk drivers, enforce seatbelt laws. The children, above all, deserve better treatment from drivers in Treasure Beach.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rebecca on Saturday, February 26, 2005 - 09:48 am: Edit Post

I would agree 100% that, not just in Treasure Beach but all over Jamaica, there needs to be better speed limit signs and enforcement of that speed limit sign near all schools. I personally like the idea of the speed bump forcing folks to slow down near the school whether someone is there to enforce the speed limit or not.

However, the following are my observations on driving on these roads. I am often asked to compare driving on Jamaican roads vs. American roads and doesn't it scare me to drive on Jamaican roads. I have to say in my 12 years of driving on Jamaica roads every day, I would much prefer driving in Jamaica.

We are in constant communication with each other on the roads here utilizing our horns, headlights, and hand signals, allowing us to warn each other of obstacles on the road, etc. I also find that the drivers are much more skilled (overall) with faster reflexes and an understanding of the road and what their own car can do. I once had a professional race car driver from America in my bus and he (without prompting from me) made the same observation.

We also communicate with pedestrians. When you consider how many people are walking on the sides of these narrow roads everyday, you rarely hear of anyone getting hit. Two toots on the horn from a car will alert the pedestrian to step off of the road.

I do understand that if you are not familiar with this driving style it can be frightening, but please understand, this style is a very controlled style.

I have had mechanical problems on the road and within a few minutes someone was stopping to assist me. They call it "The code of the road" here and it works well. I have had the opportunity to recipricate this kindness for others and the experience usually ends up with making new friends. I'm sure PC Amy remembers the day my car died outside of Ocho Rios when we were on our way to a conference in Port Antonio. I clearly recall fellow Peace Corp persons driving by and waving with one stopping and wishing us good luck. Then three men from the area stopped, told us they were mechanics, and proceeded to help us to get the car started (which took several hours) and get back to Treasure Beach. When we tried to pay them, they refused stating "the code of the road". Every time I drive by their garage since, I always stop and visit for a while having made good friends.

Again, please do not misunderstand me. I agree that one person getting hit is one too many and we all could stand to slow down especially around school zones, however, at the risk of making a sweeping generalization, Jamaican drivers (in my experience) are highly skilled drivers and I thoroughly enjoy driving on these roads. Not to mention the scenery is spectacular!

Would love to hear other's views.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By A concerned citizen of Treasure beach. on Saturday, February 26, 2005 - 10:18 am: Edit Post

Please ask yourselves these question;
1. How many road accidents happen in Treasure Beach per annum?
2. How many are fatal when there is an accident?
3. How many person have been hit in an accident? Please think way back, eg.Since you started staying here or from you were conceived as a citizen.
4. If an accident occurs in Treasure Beach, what caused this accident? Is it due to careless driving or is it due to the "beautifully paved" roads we have?
Come on people! Give our drivers some credit, what we drive on as a two lane road is one lane in America and other fully developed countries.
Face the facts our drivers got skills, and a lot of us are too paranoid.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Lynnette/SweetLips on Saturday, February 26, 2005 - 11:30 am: Edit Post

I'm on my way to TB in less than three weeks, what would it take to get that fence back up at Sandy Bank? Changing that "soon come" job into a finished project!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By M. on Saturday, February 26, 2005 - 11:58 am: Edit Post

Code of the road eh? I suppose I'll buy that.

Sitting on the side of the road for 7 hours in Sav., cuz a tire flew off of the car I was driving... yep. Lots of people around. hehe The car DID get fixed (eventually), and the remainder of the ride was unevenful - ooooh, all except for the flat tire that I got just outside of black river at 3am... where that code of the road would have come in handy. (The tire iron didn't get returned by the mechanic from the first tire incident, thus... flat tire + no tire iron = need help!) The code must be held to daylight hours only, cuz no cars stopped to help. (A few did pass, even at that hour.)

The 100mph ride back to the airport - same vacation, was a close-your-eyes-and-make-yourself-go-to-sleep-until-its-over ride as well. (different car, different guy)

Funny thing? I'm not deterred, I'm not scared, but uhmmm Rebecca... will YOU pick me up in July please?????? hehehehehe


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By concerned mama on Saturday, February 26, 2005 - 01:17 pm: Edit Post

Thank you Dr. James you are right on the money.

Per other posts:

I agree that Jamaicans are perhaps the most skilled drivers in the world.

I enjoy driving here and am rather comfortable doing so.

I do however know that children are much like goats, especially when they are let out from school for the day. They don't have the common sense we adults do, nor do they always have the discipline and self control to do the right thing.

Be you in America or Jamaica, when you see a group of pickney on the road-side and you are behind the wheel of a vehicle the LEAST you should do is SLOW DOWN and TAKE CAUTION.

The time I see ALL drivers take caution is when there are cattle in the road. Not goats, not children, but cattle as we know dem can really mash up de vehicle dem.

I invite anyone to go to Sandy Bank at 3pm during the week and observe how many vehicles actually slow down. For the most part, some do.
As stated earlier though, it only takes ONE incident.

I watch as taxis, hardware delivery trucks and others barrell down the hill, (with all their great driving skill) as groups of children walk the 18" strip of sidewalk up the hill and more groups board the back of vans and cars at the gate at the bottom of the hill.

Again, save a few, I would estimate most who don't show caution are either from outside the community or maybe even unaware the school is there.

Road signs won't help when a large percentage of the drivers can't read, and those that do know that there will probably be no enforcement.

Even when the fence is fixed, we still have a problem.

I am again wondering what would be wrong with speed bumps? Just two likkle speed bumps.


Perhaps we should thank Jah there haven't been a number of fatal accidents in the area. We have lost a number of members of the community in driving incidents in Jamaica over the last several years, though these accidents weren't in Treasure Beach, we have lost lives due to careless driving.

I don't think we are being paranoid, I think we have thus far been blessed that these incidents have yet to strike "closer to home".


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By A.Todd Lyric on Sunday, February 27, 2005 - 05:56 am: Edit Post

You will need to go through hell with the Parish Council or whoever to get permission to put in speed bumps. However, we don't need to have permission to put in more potholes and God knows they never fix them. So that's my solution...some nice big potholes.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sunshine on Saturday, March 05, 2005 - 02:55 am: Edit Post

Right on, A.Todd Lyric, whatever it takes!