Dear Subscriber,
()
We often take for granted driving on Public Roads on Cat Island. Several new proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Act will make it illegal to 1) drive or operate a vehicle while using a cellphone, or 2) with an open alcoholic beverage, or 3) failing to “immediately” produce one’s drivers licence and insurance certificate when asked to do so by police.
The legislation requires a cellphone remain affixed while being used, or is specially adapted or designed as a hands-free device and is used to enable the driver or operator to use the cellphone without holding it.
Fines for the use of a cell phone while driving and for the proposed open alcoholic beverage law have not been set. Currently in The Bahamas the legal limit for breath alcohol content is 0.06%. If found to be over 0.06% you can be arrested and fined $3,000 or spend time in prison.
The penalty for not immediately producing an insurance certificate is a fine of two hundred dollars or imprisonment for three months or both. The fine for not immediately producing a driver’s licence is $40.
And as a reminder, all drivers and their passengers must wear seat belts while riding in a vehicle.
Even though the local Police have been very lax in the past in enforcing these laws, we’ve seen an increase in enforcement of other laws and regulations here on Cat and as International visitors to the Bahamas we should stay informed of local laws and set the standard in observing them.
Warm Regards, James Honeycutt
Pigeon Cay Homeowners Association