Failure to a wear seat belt and failure to comply with traffic signs top list of offences

Barbados ended 2025 with a troubling road safety record and advocates and law enforcement want drivers to know it.

Cell phones, ignored traffic signals and a culture of impatience left a trail of collisions behind.

As 2026 continues to unfold, the message from those on the front line is clear: enough is enough.

Erskine Cumberbatch, public relations officer for the Barbados Road Safety Association, did not mince words when describing what he witnessed most often in 2025.

“Too many rear end collisions. It comes from driving without paying attention and being on the cellular phone. Most of those accidents are cellphone accidents,” he said. “If we had to carry out a survey and the police had to check the person’s phone at the time of the accident, you would realise the phone was in use.”

It is a scenario playing out daily on Barbados’ roads, he added.

“You’re in traffic and people are texting. Sometimes they have the phone in their lap and they glance down to check it and haven’t realised that they’ve taken their foot off the brakes and have run into somebody’s back,” Cumberbatch added.

Recorded violations

The official numbers from the Barbados Police Service (BPS) support his comments.

In 2025, cell phone use while driving produced 874 recorded violations. Topping the police’s list of recorded violations was failing to wear a seat belt, with 3 043 cases, followed by failure to comply with a traffic sign at 2 589, speeding at 2 096, and failure to comply with number plate requirements at 997.

Road safety advocate Junior Jordan said he observed a “stark increase in ridiculous and dangerous driving” over the past year and his concerns are similar to those of Cumberbatch. Jordan pointed to drivers treating stop junctions as give-way junctions as one of the most persistent and dangerous habits he witnessed.

“Stop junctions means stop even if you’re the only person in that area. Whereas, a give-way means proceed with caution once the road is clear and it’s safe to do so,” he explained. “Quite a number of people are blatantly refusing to stop at junctions.”

Jordan also flagged the misuse of roundabouts, specifically drivers using the left lane to turn right or to execute U-turns as a habit that could end in a serious collision.

He further highlighted the confusion many drivers demonstrate at traffic lights, particularly the difference between a flashing red and a flashing orange.

“A flashing red light means stop, check and then go once it’s clear. A flashing orange means proceed with caution once it is safe to do so. Too many people are using them interchangeably. They are not stopping on the flashing red light at all.”

Information provided by the BPS recorded failure to comply with traffic signs as one of its top violation categories at 2 589 cases in 2025. The Service further noted that speeding, failure to comply with traffic signs and signals and the use of cell phones continue to be among the leading factors contributing to serious and fatal collisions.

A recurring theme across all three sources is the challenge of enforcement.

”There are not enough police to police them. When you are not governed, people will do stupid things,” Cumberbatch said.

He described a culture of aggressive non-compliance where drivers are not just breaking rules but doing so boldly.

“People are doing wrong things and are aggressive with it” he said.

The BPS acknowledged a general personnel shortage within the organisation but said resources were being strategically deployed to address any gaps. Operations such as Road Assurance and Safe Streets remained the most effective enforcement tools. In 2025, 83 motorcycles were seized during Operation Restore Order, with a further 27 already seized in 2026. A comparative analysis of vehicles checked also suggested improvement in registration compliance.

Demerit point system

Jordan called for the full implementation of the demerit points system, which he said already exists in law but has not been fully enforced. He also urged authorities to strengthen legislation around road cameras.

“There are a lot of cameras all over this country, all the highways and so on. If the legislation is not already in place, I think that the legislation needs to be clear that those images can be used for prosecution in court.”

The issue of road safety does not rest solely with drivers. Jordan pointed out that pedestrians were also placing themselves in harm’s way by stepping off buses into oncoming traffic or walking while distracted by their phones.

He also flagged a growing hazard – roadside vendors who have set up stalls on corners, prompting drivers to stop with hazard lights on in dangerous locations.

“People are stopping their vehicles, putting on hazard lights around corners and buying fruits, vegetables and all manner of products. This is crazy,” Jordan said.

With the violations of 2025 serving as a stark warning, advocates and law enforcement are appealing to every road user, driver, cyclist and pedestrian to take personal responsibility.

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