Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has made a passionate plea for motorists traversing the island’s roadways to drive slower and exercise due care and attention. His cry comes after numerous traffic incidents, across the island, some resulting in horrific death scenes.
The Royal St. Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) has done the same for years, through public service announcements, interviews and at press briefings yet the problem of fast, reckless driving persists.
Last year, up till September 2025, the RSLPF conducted a reported 613 traffic stops, up from 436 of the previous year. As a result, 13,502 traffic tickets were issued, up from 5252 in 2024. There were also 3815 reported accidents, of which 189 were considered very serious. Surprisingly only 10 featured fatalities. Those fatal incidents were recorded through every corridor of the island’s roadways.
It stands to reason, then, that there is not one ‘most dangerous’ place to drive fast. It would also be fair to deduce, from the presented figures, that the RSLPF were sufficiently busy in 2025 and experienced some success with fatalities down by 50% compared to 2024. Minor and serious accident figures were also trending in the right direction.
The present government will argue that they have more than matched the effort of the RSLPF with much needed equipment to execute the various tasks on the ground. If that is true, what then is the issue?
Even while the figures are trending positively, one argument suggests that we have been doing the same old thing, the same old way, for far too long.
There is another seemingly plausible argument that suggests that the punishment for traffic violations is tantamount to a slap on the wrist, which serves as acceptance rather than a deterrent.
Drunk driving accounts for a large portion of the incidents on our roads yet we hardly hear about police interventions where that is concerned.
In the United States, a points system exists to track and punish traffic infractions. While each state has its own system, their punishments are rooted in license suspension and revocation as well as fines, all depending on severity. There are even occasions when offenders are incarcerated. In certain territories in the region, traffic violations carry heavier punishment than what exists here. St. Vincent and the Grenadines for example, appears to have a no-nonsense approach to cell phone use while driving which seem to be a commonplace here in St. Lucia. St. Lucia’s legislation governing the use of cell phones while driving is being worked on as we speak.
St. Lucia is not a country without laws, but more is needed to adequately help curb traffic infractions.
It seems however, that what will make a world of difference is our ability to install more stringent punishment and our willingness to apply those applicable laws already on our books.