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03:12Welcome to Beyond the Tape.
03:13I'm your host, Marc Bessin.
03:14Welcome to our viewers across Trinidad and Tobago and, of course, our global viewers.
03:19We know that the weather continues to be very wet outside there, and we want to tell everyone
03:26to be very safe on the nation's roadways, no doubt.
03:30You know, we had a very tragic accident yesterday along the Solomon Ho Choi Highway just before
03:37Coover Fair.
03:38Police Constable Zachariah Gill, obviously, being that road fatality victim.
03:45Of course, today, I'm going to kind of give us some better insight into road safety to
03:51ensure that we all can understand the dangers associated with wet roads.
03:56It's none other than Sergeant Brent Batson, Strategic Road Safety Project Coordinator.
04:05So they say.
04:06How are you?
04:07Hey, Marc.
04:08Good to see you.
04:09Sure, sure.
04:10And, you know, thanks for recognizing Officer Gill as one of the officers that I trained.
04:14He did the ticketing course, and it really was a shock to everybody, you know, when we
04:19heard there was a police officer involved in that.
04:23But at the same time, I always say it's a wake-up call, you know, to everybody.
04:28Road traffic accidents do not discriminate.
04:31Exactly.
04:32It doesn't care how much money you have.
04:34It doesn't care what job you do.
04:35It doesn't care what vehicle you drive, because BMWs are designed, you know, to take some
04:40serious impacts.
04:42And we saw the type of energy that was involved in that collision.
04:47And so the point is, I would say, physics is going to take over.
04:51There's only so much it's going to do, and there's only so much the human body can endure
04:55with regards to blunt force trauma and internal bleeding.
05:00You know, a lot of people don't understand it.
05:02In crashes, we always say there are three crashes.
05:06One is when the vehicle strikes that object.
05:08The other one is when the human body hits something physical, like the dashboard or whatever.
05:13And then the third collision is when your organs shift inside.
05:17You know, it could be the brainstem sometimes pops out, your heart against your thoracic
05:23cage shifts, and you have massive internal bleeding.
05:27And, you know, sadly, I saw an eyewitness and a voice don't mention a lot of blood was
05:31leaking out of his mouth afterwards.
05:33And I don't mean to throw into any families who might be listening.
05:36But when these things happen, we hope that the public looks at it and says, wow, you
05:42know, this thing is real serious.
05:44Operating this motor vehicle takes a lot of responsibility.
05:48And this could be anybody, you know, who maybe is unfortunate enough to pick up a skin.
05:54And it seems so that dash cam footage, you know, allow people to actually see a real
05:59time rather than speculation of what triggered it.
06:03And we actually saw that vehicle go into almost a horizontal slide straight into the pool.
06:08But again, once conditions are wet, and it's only recently they had the official announcement
06:14that the rainy season is here.
06:16And I want to make that appeal to the public right now.
06:21Please remember your driving style has to change to this season.
06:27This total change in your driving style has to adapt to these road conditions.
06:33Remember, during the dry season, oil leaks out.
06:37Fuel leaks out from vehicles.
06:39And we're not just talking about engine oil.
06:41We're talking about hydraulic oil, all kinds of stuff that leaks from trucks and cars and
06:44motorcycles, whatever.
06:46The point is, over the dry, it bakes into the roadway.
06:50So when that first set of showers are coming in, literally it's just oil coming to the
06:55top of the surface of that roadway surface.
06:58So it's really important that you understand your best friend is reducing your speed at
07:04that point.
07:05Because you have to let gravity work to your advantage, to allow the weight of the vehicle,
07:09to allow more traction to your tires, to let your tread wear work properly, to maintain
07:13grip on that roadway.
07:14Critical.
07:16You mentioned something that's very interesting, of course, in a scientific sense, when you
07:22talk about the impact and the shifting of various organs in the human being's body.
07:28And I remember looking at a documentary where they spoke about the fact that a side-on
07:33collision is worse than a head-on.
07:36Because you are literally going this way, shifting, and stuff in your brain shifts,
07:41rather than if it goes, you're going forward and back.
07:44That's one.
07:45Yes.
07:46The other critical part is, it's the shortest distance to the occupant compartment.
07:50When you hit something to your front, you remember your airbags, it's frontal impact
07:53where you have two airbags, for example.
07:55But you also have crumple zones that activate all to the front.
07:59You have to cut through your bumper, your engine, the firewall, before that enters that
08:04occupant compartment.
08:05Side impact, the impact is straight into the side of the vehicle.
08:09High-end vehicles, they tend to have reinforced side beams, plus side airbags, especially
08:14those high-end vehicles.
08:15So, usually, those people tend to walk out high-end vehicle crashes because of those
08:20additional safety features.
08:22So, it was surprising that he didn't, but it goes to show physics, like I said, will
08:26take over.
08:27Yeah, because as you said, when you look at the impact there, it just probably caught
08:31most of his side window before the actual beam there.
08:36That's right.
08:38And it was pretty severe because when he lost control of the vehicle, it swung in at a very,
08:44very impactful speed into that utility pole.
08:48And to move that utility pole, if you look at the utility pole and how it is bent, definitely
08:56the speed and impact of how it struck.
08:58Look at it.
08:59Yeah.
09:00You can see it.
09:01You can see it, yeah.
09:02It moved to that pole.
09:03And you know, moving those poles are very, very difficult to do just like that.
09:06And actually, it didn't move the pole like physically up, reaching out of the ground,
09:11but it bent the pole.
09:13And you saw the energy transfer into even downward movement of the pole on top.
09:17Correct.
09:18So, the pole literally bent in the middle or something there, but it stood there.
09:22It stayed in the area that it was planted.
09:24And I always tell people, you know, when you...
09:26How long do you think that took?
09:28Huh?
09:29Between when you...
09:30Split seconds.
09:31Fraction of seconds.
09:32Yep, split seconds.
09:33Fraction of seconds, Mark.
09:34This is why we say in driving, time is your most important friend, you know.
09:38And so, when you drive too close with the higher patrol units, we see no time.
09:42Five, six cars slamming into each other.
09:44Yeah.
09:45You are too close.
09:46Your traveling distance does not match your speed.
09:50The faster you're going, the more speed you need.
09:52Roadway conditions become adverse.
09:54You need to stretch that out.
09:56What do trailers tell us when we tell them that?
09:58They tell us, hey, if I leave that space, our taxi will cut in front.
10:01Hey, it's not going to cut in front and stop.
10:04It's moving.
10:05Yeah.
10:06All right?
10:07So, just give yourself back your space because space is time.
10:11And time is your best friend, especially for safe driving.
10:14All right.
10:15Most certainly.
10:16All right.
10:17Let's take a look now at our headlines.
10:32So, those are some of the headlines within the last 24 hours.
10:54And certainly, you know, that road safety is paramount, you know,
10:58as we speak about taking precautions on the nation's roads,
11:03especially as we are now officially in that rainy season.
11:08And not to retract, of course,
11:10we know that there was another homicide this morning in the St.
11:14Madeleine area.
11:16Apparently, police were called to a scene where they found an
11:19unidentified male with his throat slit.
11:22Okay.
11:23And, again, those types of violent homicides are usually linked to some
11:28other, unfortunately, usually linked to drug trades and stuff like that.
11:33But, again, the, you know, the TTPS is reminding the public,
11:39if you have information, please send us in.
11:41You know, you're a critical aspect for our intelligence gathering.
11:45We can't do it without you.
11:47Say something.
11:48Say something.
11:49Say something.
11:50If you know something, say something.
11:51If you don't want to call 999, you have 555.
11:54You have lots of options to share that information absolutely
11:59anonymously.
12:00So, we ask you to continue to partner with us and send that information to
12:04us.
12:05Certainly.
12:06And, of course, last night in the Belmont area,
12:08there was another shooting involving a Michael Duncan.
12:16It was, sorry, shot and killed last night in the Belmont area.
12:20And, if you recall, just about a couple of days before that,
12:24Sergeant Batson, there was a shooting incident where a driver was in that
12:28Norfolk Road area there.
12:30And, see, a vehicle attempts to block him.
12:32He sways away from it, but the gunman opened fire still.
12:35Apparently, he got to the hospital where they followed him.
12:38Luckily, the security guards who were on duty were able to deter them from
12:43getting any further and they would have escaped.
12:45Now, the acting commissioner of police, Mr. Junior Benjamin,
12:51speaking to the media yesterday has indicated that they are planning to
12:56step up patrols in that area in Belmont where you're seeing an increased
13:02level of gang activity happening.
13:05Fight for turf because there are certain key members of certain gangs that
13:11have left the country and they have left a void and they are wanted for
13:16various crimes.
13:17So, they have left the country and now in that fight for changing of the
13:22guard, so to speak, they have these clashes with rival gangs.
13:27But, again, you know, when you show these clips and the public sees it,
13:33it terrifies us because, you know, our job is public safety.
13:37That's injury and harm reduction to the public.
13:40To see these guys wantonly open fire in the public, irrespective,
13:45we are training backstop, being aware of what's behind these targets,
13:48even before we even point the gun in any direction.
13:51These people don't care.
13:53These bullets can ricochet straight into somebody's yard where a kid is playing
13:56and stuff like that.
13:57Yes.
13:58And this is why our focus on targeting firearm offenders and targeting these
14:03people and the public's assistance to get these people because they are major
14:08threat to our national security and just our general way of life.
14:12Innocent people get caught in this crossfire that have nothing to do with
14:15gang, tiff, and anything like that.
14:17These are people going about their normal lives.
14:20So, I know that, you know, the CID units and homicides are also,
14:25the intelligence units are working hard behind the scenes and I'm pretty sure
14:28they'll have a breakthrough.
14:30And that discussion about, you know, the firearms,
14:34especially from the legislative aspect,
14:37has been a conversation that has been had in various forums over the last year,
14:41looking at, you know, amending legislation when it comes to these,
14:46under the Firearms Act, of course, about these heavy, you know,
14:51high-powered rifles and so on that are now more customarily being used on the
14:55streets of Trinidad and Tobago rather than using a handgun but using
14:59high-powered weapons, AR-15s, rifles, and so on,
15:04is the choice of criminals and, of course, of shooters.
15:07And, again, it's not an easy thing.
15:10When we see the reports and you've seen caliber weapons, 5.56, 7.62,
15:16becoming a norm, that's really becoming concerning because, like you said,
15:21the power of the weapon and its ability to move through,
15:25even concrete in some cases.
15:27Yes, armor piercing.
15:28Yeah, it's something.
15:29There's only so much our vest will stop, but still we run towards it.
15:32That's what we want to do.
15:33That's what we have to do it.
15:34Yes.
15:35But, you know, we believe, without a doubt,
15:41we will make an impact with some more heavy, and I say heavy, presence,
15:48but more important, intelligence-driven operations.
15:51And that we're trying to do even in our road policing operations.
15:53It's not, you know, everybody's in a roadblock looking for a ticket.
15:56No, it's bigger than that.
15:57All right?
15:58We're using more intelligence to drive the road checkpoints at certain times,
16:03certain vehicles, knowing some certain hot spots,
16:06whether it's road safety for collision reduction
16:08or, more important, anti-crime operations.
16:12All right.
16:13We're going to take a short break and we'll be back.
16:15Stay with us.
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19:40Hi, Theresa Mannion here with some important advice about driving on wet roads.
19:45In heavy rain, visibility is reduced.
19:48Slow down and allow extra distance between you and the vehicle in front.
19:53On wet roads, aquaplaning can happen when a film of water separates your tyres from the road, causing your car to skid.
20:01If your car aquaplanes, don't brake fast or pull sharply on the steering wheel.
20:07Instead, ease off the accelerator and let the car slow down itself until you feel the tyres regaining grip.
20:15Do not try to steer or brake until grip has been restored.
20:20Keep a steady hand on the wheel and steer with small movements to correct your course.
20:26Make sure you watch your speed in wet conditions.
20:29The RSA advises that you should replace your tyres if the tread depth falls below 3mm.
20:37Don't get caught out when severe weather strikes.
20:40For more tips and advice, visit rsa.ie.
20:46Alright, so there we have a very interesting take on safety.
20:52That's right, some timely advice.
20:53When you're driving on wet roads.
20:54Yeah, timely advice.
20:55I think it's pretty simple advice for everyone to see.
20:58But critical, you're saying it's simple.
21:01And you know that people say, well that's common sense.
21:03That's not what we see outside of Mark.
21:05I mean, we're seeing outside, when we talk about the highways, people making really poor decisions sometimes.
21:12You talk about, like I said, driving extremely close.
21:15So when the person in front suddenly stops, your options at this point, turning around the vehicle.
21:20Think about what I'm telling you as drivers.
21:22Your options at this point is pull or hit.
21:25You'd like to stop, that's not an option.
21:28Because you don't have the space.
21:30It's pull or hit.
21:31So that's why it's so important to keep that safety gap.
21:34It's critical that that falling distance.
21:36And I always tell people, space is time.
21:38And once you have time, you have time to look at what your options.
21:40You have time to stop your vehicle or slow down the cars behind that have not seen the hazard in front of you.
21:45And Sergeant Batson, I was remarking yesterday that, you know, the heavy rainfall that we experienced early Sunday morning.
21:52And for the better part of Sunday into Monday, you know, even with the roads well lit,
21:58there was some difficulty in even seeing the white lines separating the lanes.
22:03And I believe that for the powers that be that are listening, I think we need to have cat eyes along those white lines.
22:11Yeah.
22:12Even if it's rude.
22:13Because if the rain, the visibility is very low, your white lines are very difficult to see.
22:17Yeah, yeah.
22:18Well, again, that will be what we're hoping.
22:20Yes.
22:21You know, the traffic management branch, you know, and the highways division.
22:25I mean, those things, you know, I always tell people the investment pays for itself.
22:30Why I say that?
22:31Once we prevent crashes, we don't have that lost productivity, manpower that we suffer from.
22:37You know, in peak hour, it just takes a crash there and we're stuck in traffic for four hours.
22:41Yes.
22:42People have to reach for surgery.
22:44Doctors have to reach.
22:45People have to school and exams.
22:48And sometimes it's just selfish, inattentive driving that has a ripple effect on the whole country.
22:53There's only so much road network that we have.
22:55True.
22:56You know, so by all means, the cat eyes or those reflective strips.
23:00You don't have to put that in every one.
23:02No, definitely.
23:03Every three.
23:04Yeah, yeah, yeah.
23:05Because then when you see the reflection of the light on it, it lights a path for you.
23:08Just like when you have, you know, and you have a path lit up.
23:12No, definitely.
23:13I support that.
23:14And I always say what it allows you.
23:16You see, your white line is your reference point.
23:18Yes.
23:19That's what guides union lane management.
23:21And this is why we always tell people, even with the rainy season, if you cannot see the roadway
23:26and you don't know where that edge of that road, hey, don't go.
23:30You're not too sure if you're going to drop off that drain.
23:33You're not too sure where that white line is, where that separator is.
23:37You're not too sure where the portal was that you were trying to avoid.
23:40Especially if you're trying to drive through water like this that was captured over the last 24 hours
23:45by express reporters and photographers in Central and so on.
23:51Because you don't know, as you said, the height of the water.
23:55You judge it based on what you think because your vehicle is higher.
23:58But let's not...
24:00And, you know, Mark, I just want to mention because I've seen it in any clip.
24:04Please don't forget motorists.
24:06The pedestrians form part of the traffic as well.
24:09Be respectful for them.
24:11You've seen school kids at the side of the road, they're waiting.
24:13You with your big 4x4, pass, same speed, and bathe all of them with all that nasty drain water.
24:21You know, be a brother's keeper.
24:23Even on the roadways, persons, they're waiting to travel.
24:26Be respectful, slow down a little bit so it doesn't splash them.
24:29Because you could be surprised that might trigger a road rage incident.
24:32Yeah, definitely.
24:33So we're asking people, like I said, pay attention.
24:36If you don't think you can make it, park up somewhere until...
24:39A lot of times the water goes down, recedes pretty fast.
24:42Sometimes 10, 15 minutes and you'd swear there was no flood to begin with.
24:46And it's worth your while.
24:49Your motor vehicle is actually one of your biggest investments.
24:52So it's really not worth taking that chance.
24:54Yes.
24:55Alright, we have our first call on the line.
24:57Caller, good evening.
24:58Hi, good evening Mark and Dr. Batten, people.
25:02Evening sir, good evening.
25:03One of the concerns that I have with regards to wet road conditions and stuff,
25:09I think you know, drivers and road users
25:13doesn't have that education or their full awareness of what actually happens at their vehicle.
25:21I'm a driver.
25:22And over the weekend there, I was like appalled to see how drivers behind me
25:28and the road has seen puddles of water on the highway.
25:33And I know it because when I used to, my job ordered me to do defensive driving every two years.
25:41And defensive driving puts you in a place to understand
25:45how you go into driving at that point in time.
25:49That is how you react into situations.
25:52You cannot leave late to reach early.
25:54No.
25:55So you would drive errant and all sort of way.
25:58And that we need to educate our drivers.
26:02I don't know in the U.S. they have where they send you to driving school, head school.
26:06We need to have that because we are totally, how shall I put it, lawless in our driving.
26:12Secondly, road users.
26:15Today I was appalled to see a police officer cross the road badly in Arango's area.
26:23That highway is how much?
26:25It's eight lanes.
26:26It's Russian roulette, you play it over there, you know.
26:29It's not when and who is.
26:31You're sure to get hit by a bullet.
26:33And that is our vehicle.
26:34So we need to educate our people.
26:36People need to be educated, not only by the authorities, but learning.
26:41When you go to licensing, everything is about road signs.
26:45And they tell you, I see the sign, I know.
26:48Come on, people.
26:49We need to do better.
26:53Yes, noted.
26:54And, you know, some of the insurance companies now, Mark, especially for young drivers,
27:00they wouldn't put you on insurance unless you did defensive driving to try and, well,
27:05decrease your risk, of course, to the new driver.
27:07But again, I agree with you.
27:09You know, a lot more could be done on the educational front.
27:11I know the National Road Safety Council is one of the things that's supposed to be one of the mandates
27:15that they are supposed to work on.
27:18So we're hoping that happens and kicks off a little bit more.
27:21But, you know, you mentioned the signs, and you really hit the nail on the head there
27:24because a lot of times when we're doing enforcement, you know, they're not too sure what the sign means,
27:29so they didn't read it properly, and especially time-restricted new entries.
27:33So I agree with you wholeheartedly, Kola, and it's definitely an area for improvement.
27:38Yes, certainly.
27:39All right, we're going to take a short break, and when we get back, we'll take more of your calls.
27:43Stay with us.
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29:17the Sunday Express gives you the opportunity to increase your reach,
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29:58Maybe you could afford to pay up to $22,500 in fines and lose your license permanently.
30:05No? Then don't drink and drive.
30:10A message from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
30:28Hi, I'm Michelle Yeoh.
30:31As an actress, I've been in many dangerous situations on screen,
30:36but I always get to walk away.
30:38In real life, though, most people don't.
30:41So when you're in your car, follow these safe steps and help save lives.
30:46Make sure you stick to speed limits.
30:48They're there to protect you and others.
30:50Slow down at high-risk intersections.
30:53They're there to protect you and others.
30:55Slow down at high-risk areas like junctions, sharp turns, and before traffic lights.
31:02And watch out for pedestrians and cyclists.
31:06To avoid collisions, keep a safe distance.
31:09Remember the three-second rule.
31:11Pick out an object, count to three.
31:14And if you've passed the object before the count of three, you're far too close.
31:19We all have a role in road safety.
31:22Follow these safe steps and play your part.
31:25For more road safety advice, visit safesteps.com.
31:31Well, you've certainly been speaking about a safe distance,
31:34and I think you need to emphasize that again here after looking at this little video.
31:40Yeah, well, again, what I'd say, Mark, is interesting,
31:43because Michelle Yeoh is actually a UN Road Safety Ambassador for road safety.
31:52And part of her job is to, across the world, go around trying to change not just driver behavior,
32:01but road user behavior, because as you know, pedestrians can take some chances to,
32:05causing a driver to pull away and then lose control.
32:08So everybody has, and that's the point she's making, everybody has a part to play.
32:13What disappointed me, when I was heading down to, well, up to base, I should say, this morning,
32:22and this is about half past five, everybody, you know, was moved and hurt when they saw this crash,
32:31and this young police officer, 25-year-old, lost his life there.
32:36This morning, you know what people forget, Mark?
32:39When we're going to work, you know, we're driving our private cars,
32:43we're wearing normal clothes like everybody else, and a taxi driver overtakes on his shoulder.
32:49When I tell you, so fast, I can't even get the plates.
32:52Wow.
32:53He's fully loaded, because all the back shots, the car's drooping.
32:57And the speed he pelts at that shoulder, I'm like, didn't he see that?
33:02Didn't he see all the videos circulating?
33:05You don't think that could happen to you, or your family?
33:08How about, by the way, what is it that you're transporting?
33:11Is it cauliflower, or people's lives?
33:13It can't be people's lives.
33:14I think taxi drivers think they have some kind of immunity,
33:17but I want you all to know that you all also have to be held responsible,
33:22because you, more than anybody else, uses the roadways more often during the day
33:27than people who travel maybe any night or the afternoon or in the morning,
33:31because they're traversing and dropping people to and from.
33:34So they should be much wiser to road etiquette and, of course, to the road rules.
33:40It's interesting, because when we stop them and they're angry,
33:44we're interfering with them, keeping back,
33:46hey, come on, you're being paid to transport safely to the destination,
33:52not quickly, not as fast as possible, because you want to make two or three extra trips.
33:56It can't work like that.
33:58And this is why there's a higher responsibility to have in that public service, that badge.
34:05So I'm hoping people learn from other people's mistakes.
34:10I'm hopeful of that as well.
34:11We have another call on the line.
34:12Caller, good evening.
34:14I bless you.
34:15Good evening to two eminent young men.
34:18Mark and Sergeant Barton.
34:21Evening.
34:22Within the next 15 to 25 years, you will reach my age.
34:28I want to address something, and you're going to help me,
34:31because it's not like you are going to be affected by it the same way I am.
34:37Right now we're looking at noise pollution.
34:41The police say, if you see something, say something,
34:45and you expect it to be confidential.
34:48If you report a noise making in your area, it is no longer confidential,
34:54because the police will tell the person exactly Mary, James, or Harry made a report about so-and-so-and-so.
35:01But when the police are going to the establishment,
35:04certainly residents, wouldn't the police be hearing the same noise?
35:09So why do we need to expose the older folks to these younger people that are making noise,
35:15to listen over?
35:17Right, sir.
35:18So you touch a topic that's very close to my heart,
35:21the reason being my aunt lives in Faisalabad,
35:24and she's elderly, and they're pensioners,
35:28and opposite where she lives, they have a bus, and they open up.
35:34And she told me that, first of all, they try the neighborly part.
35:40You go across, you talk to them, hey, you know.
35:42Remember, we go to sleep early.
35:44Sometimes your grandchild comes across.
35:46If you could think, nothing.
35:50So they call the police station.
35:53The police did not send a patrol, but for some amazing reason.
35:59Now, remember, people have to go through like a license and stuff
36:01so they know the establishments in the area.
36:03And the police called and said how my aunt and them making reports about.
36:09So I know exactly, you know, and they didn't change.
36:13You know what I mean?
36:14Sometimes they lower down the music for a short time,
36:16even when the patrols show up.
36:17And as the patrols leave, back to business.
36:20Back up the volume.
36:21Back up to business.
36:22So, Kuala, I want you to just bear with us a little bit, all right?
36:27Because there is some enforcement capabilities coming into our hands very soon.
36:32I don't want to speak too much about it.
36:34And that is going to change the whole ballgame for us having that ability
36:40to deal with noise control.
36:43And it's going to put us on the front foot instead of the back foot,
36:47as we are right now in most cases.
36:48Yeah.
36:49And, of course, you're not the first officer that would have indicated such.
36:52One of the other officers who was on the show a couple of weeks ago
36:55alluded to something to that nature, without saying too much, of course,
36:58because, of course, there are certain things that have to be done
37:01before you can speak.
37:03I guess expand a little more on what you want to tell the public.
37:07Well, we're going to, and it's going to be collaborative with the EME.
37:10But just know, once it starts, it's going to be across the board.
37:14It's going to be quantitative.
37:16Right now, it's too loud, and I think, no, no, no, no, no.
37:19We're going to just like with the speed guns and just like with the breathalyzers,
37:22we are going to measure and have the evidence necessary to present in court.
37:27And if you have a bar, just know we will now have enough evidence now
37:32to shut down and deny you that liquor license
37:36and come before the magistrate again.
37:39I think that some people have really abused that bar license
37:43and so on at times, and they need to feel some brunt of the load
37:46to understand that they need to have that kind of consideration
37:49for those that live in and around the area as well.
37:51Of course, we love the community.
37:53So I hear your caller, and like I said, just bear with us a little bit.
37:58We want to make sure what we implement has a solid foundation.
38:01And you know, before we go to the big caller,
38:03he said we'll probably be 15 to 20 years.
38:07That would make you like 40 and me 42.
38:09Yeah, I think that's a compliment.
38:12Well, I think we have another caller on the line.
38:14Caller, good evening.
38:16Good evening, Mr. Bassan.
38:18Good evening, sir.
38:19Good evening to you and also good evening to Sergeant Batson.
38:23Evening, sir.
38:24Given the show, listening carefully to the advice Mr. Batson has given to us
38:29and also the questions you asked, Mr. Bassan,
38:33I think for quite some time, I think we need a mindset rehabilitation.
38:38I guess this is what this show is about.
38:41I would like to hear a bit more.
38:43We hear it in terms of just asking persons to do the right thing.
38:48We need that mindset because for quite some time in society,
38:51you guys could give your opinion.
38:53We came in a society where people, persons,
38:56influencing other persons to do the wrong thing.
39:00Sergeant Batson would advise us be safe on the road, wear seat belts,
39:04drive within the limit, be responsible, et cetera.
39:08So we need that mindset in a real way.
39:10And community policing is a term that you officers use.
39:14I think we need a real focus on that.
39:18We're talking about children going to school.
39:21We're talking about people going to work.
39:23Persons really trying to do the right thing.
39:25If you have units and elements within your community on a daily basis,
39:30on a weekly basis, in some way, shape, or form,
39:33creating a negative energy, that could be a major deterrent.
39:38And then slowly but surely, persons transition to making mischief,
39:42doing wrong, and then all of a sudden, we're in a cycle.
39:46We had to break the cycle.
39:47We can't keep doing the same thing and expect a different result.
39:50Thanks for the time, gentlemen, and all the best to you all and everyone.
39:54Thanks a lot, Kola.
39:55We appreciate your input.
39:58We will continue to do what we can from the education standpoint
40:02and the enforcement standpoint.
40:04But you're right.
40:05It hurts when people think we like to give.
40:10Again, it's a perception.
40:11Our job is law enforcement.
40:12There's no two ways about that.
40:15But to know that I have to give you a ticket to wear that seat belt,
40:19which is the one thing almost guaranteed to save your life in a crash.
40:22Come on.
40:23The irony of it.
40:24No, man.
40:25No, man.
40:26We passed that 1st of January, 1995, seat belts, front seat.
40:30That's standard.
40:31That is what we call your personal protective equipment for operating a motor vehicle.
40:37I do have to ticket you to wear that.
40:39You should want to wear it.
40:41Kola, of course, you know, we always try to educate on this program,
40:44unlike any other program,
40:46and that's why we have persons like Sergeant Batson on this show,
40:51as well as other officers and other experts who can tap into your questions
40:56and, of course, give you the relevant answers.
40:58We're going to take a short break, and we'll be back.
41:00Stay with us.
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42:05♪♪
42:14This is Mary.
42:17Mary has bills to pay and takes a chance
42:20parking in front of the building at the no parking sign.
42:24Mary returns to her car and this is what happens.
42:28-♪♪
42:35Mary decides to call when she's five minutes away
42:38to let her daughter know that she is close by.
42:41But Mary forgot one thing.
42:50After two tickets, Mary just isn't paying attention to her speed.
43:12Don't be like Mary.
43:14Obey the laws of the road.
43:16A message from the TTPS.
43:19♪♪
43:22♪♪
43:32Welcome back to Beyond the Tape.
43:34I'm your host, Marc Bossan,
43:36today with Sergeant Brent Paxton, Road Safety Coordinator
43:39for the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
43:41And I do believe you want to share and educate the public, of course,
43:44of some of the figures for the year thus far
43:47comparatively to last year.
43:48Definitely.
43:49Well, Jackie, I don't know if you have the figures on the classes.
43:53Yeah, awesome.
43:55So what is good so far for this year
43:57is that we're seeing a nice drop in pedestrian deaths.
44:00We've seen a 41% decrease.
44:03And that was an area of risk that we're really hoping we'd start to pull back.
44:07Now, unfortunately, you see a 400% increase in biker, we call motorcyclists.
44:12A 100% increase in loader.
44:14I always say that was an anomaly.
44:16And, of course, increasing passenger deaths.
44:18Again, also, in some cases, linked to seatbelt use.
44:22Overall, we have a national decrease of 10%.
44:25It's the right direction,
44:27but we're really hoping to be lower than that this year,
44:31even at this time, you know?
44:32It means we have to work harder,
44:34not just from an enforcement education standpoint,
44:36but from the public themselves,
44:38with regards to what their role and function is.
44:41We did a nice outreach with Aruka Primary this morning.
44:45We had officers from the Traffic and Hypertrophy Branch there
44:48giving the kids some tips on crossing the road safely.
44:52And that's the goal.
44:55The goal will always be prevention.
44:58But it's not just us.
45:00Our job is clear.
45:02The public will need your support
45:04by just doing the right thing.
45:06Yeah, that's extremely important,
45:08and that's why we're here to educate the public,
45:11give them a sense of what they need to do better
45:13on the nation's roadways, whether you're a driver,
45:16whether you're a passenger, whether you're a pedestrian,
45:18as the case may be, whether you're a motorcyclist,
45:20whatever you might be.
45:22It's all of our duties.
45:25Of course, when I'm on the roadway,
45:27and let's just say I go one kilometer over the speed limit,
45:31I have friends who say,
45:33if Mr. Batson sees you,
45:35he will make sure to tell you to go under 100.
45:38You know, something along those lines.
45:40Of course.
45:42Because they're very driven to that kind of thing,
45:44but they see people do certain things,
45:46and of course they say, you know, you have to do this,
45:48do this, put on your seatbelt.
45:50So those are things that I guess you have to also inculcate
45:53into your young drivers,
45:55your children who are going onto the roadways
45:57for the first time,
45:59making sure that they, you know,
46:01you can speak to that, of course.
46:03I'm glad you mentioned it, because, you know,
46:05we're going into that exam being finished,
46:07and young drivers, you know,
46:09going for their license and stuff,
46:11and, you know, we encourage, you know, parents,
46:13you know, yes, you might be buying, you know,
46:15cars a little bit more affordable,
46:17you're buying a car,
46:19go on the road with them, you know,
46:21even after they finish with the driving instructor,
46:23you know, do all the graduated driving with them
46:25so you're comfortable with the driver.
46:27You have to make time to do that.
46:29And also, if you're buying a second-hand vehicle,
46:31be very wary, carry a mechanic with you,
46:33make sure the vehicle is roadworthy.
46:35Without a doubt, yeah.
46:37You know what I mean, not just looking at the shell
46:39and saying, hey, this is looking good.
46:41Good car, good car.
46:43Go under the bonnets, check the tires and other things,
46:45might be faulty.
46:47And I also want to mention what the data and research shows
46:49is that, you remember, for example,
46:51you know, with proms and all these things,
46:53when young people and cars together,
46:55they take more risks, you know.
46:57So feel free to offer to chaperone.
46:59You know, I remember my dad would pick up my...
47:01Even if it's 2 o'clock in the morning,
47:03he'd come in for you, you know.
47:05Make the effort, graduate them
47:07to assist them till they're more confident
47:09in the driving and you're more confident in them
47:11operating that vehicle.
47:13Yeah, some very good advice there, most definitely,
47:15Sergeant Batson. And I don't know if there's anything
47:17you'd like to share. I've seen some documents
47:19in front of you, the strategic
47:21operating plan.
47:23What I would like to share with Toronto Vehicles
47:25is that we had a little change
47:27for the first time. I don't know if
47:29Jacque, you have the slide with the traffic violations.
47:31Traffic violations, yes.
47:33Because we saw an interesting
47:35enforcement shift
47:37whereby seatbelt was the most
47:39ticketed violation.
47:41And now for the first time, the most
47:43ticketed violation is inspection
47:45stickers. Inspection, yes.
47:47Very sad thing we were talking about,
47:49the condition of your vehicle.
47:51We have to understand that
47:53roadworthiness is
47:55an important part. We always tell people
47:57in a crash, the things we look at
47:59are trifold. One,
48:01what is the status of a driver?
48:03Can the driver legally operate
48:05the vehicle? Is he a licensed driver?
48:07Is he an impaired driver?
48:09The vehicle is the next one.
48:11Is it roadworthy
48:13for the person to operate it? And then of course
48:15there's the roadway. What's the conditions of the roadway
48:17in which the driver is operating?
48:19So, inspection sticker
48:21has become a high enforcement
48:23level. So, we're hoping
48:25you take the information. And if you
48:27don't have your vehicle inspected,
48:29please go and sort it out.
48:31I just want to ask a question.
48:33How long have we had
48:35the law of wearing your seatbelt in
48:37place? 1st of January, 1995.
48:39And look at those numbers.
48:41It's rather disappointing to see
48:43close to 7,000 persons
48:45failure not to
48:47wear your seatbelt.
48:49We are, what, 20, 30 years
48:51into this law and still we
48:53have such a high
48:55you know. And again,
48:57when people
48:59are ejected from
49:01a vehicle in a crash,
49:03you have a 75% chance
49:05of being killed on impact on the ground
49:07or any other fixed object. That's almost
49:09a guarantee. You have odds like that. You're speaking
49:11about gambling before. Those are good odds.
49:13You can make those work.
49:15But you also see, you know, one of the callers
49:17mentioned breaches of traffic signs and the importance
49:19of drivers' education. If you go on
49:21ttregs.com, it's
49:23up there. It's free for all to use.
49:25Even our Rivalized website has a lot of the traffic
49:27signs. But this is also a new
49:29one you'll see there, number four,
49:31which is failure to comply with permissible
49:33VLT. That's visible light transmittance.
49:35Those are tint violations.
49:37That's correct. So, tint violations is
49:39now in the top five. That never used to be there.
49:41Alright. So, please, we're asking
49:43everybody, get your exemptions. If you have
49:45justification for it, you have to
49:47apply to the licensing authority
49:49and make sure and have it. And still, you saw that
49:51at number five, insurance being a
49:53big ticket item. And number six,
49:55using your mobile phone. Mobile phone, yeah.
49:57It just fell off but still distracted.
49:59Distracted driving still
50:01tends to be a big challenge.
50:03And, you know, remind people what the
50:05law says. You know, you commit
50:07that violation holding or using.
50:09Again, we keep on stopping
50:11people to say, officer, I'm not talking on the
50:13phone. Hey, the law
50:15says holding.
50:17Once you're holding it, you commit the violation
50:19for which you can issue a fixed penalty
50:21notice. And distracted driving
50:23is a big problem nowadays. I always tell people
50:25when you, when I got my license,
50:27so, I didn't have to wonder
50:29if somebody's sending a text or WhatsApp.
50:31That risk didn't exist.
50:33Now, there's so much immediate
50:35cognitive distractions
50:37because of social media and people want to
50:39reply. So, you're not even too sure
50:41if they saw that car stop in front.
50:43And that's why you as a driver have to be more lit
50:45because you know you're surrounded
50:47by so much distracted drivers at this
50:49point. Changing culture.
50:51Sergeant Batson, thanks for sharing
50:53those figures and those numbers with us.
50:55We're going to take a short break and we'll be back.
50:57Stay with us.
51:09Reach everyone,
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51:25When you advertise on any
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52:01Thank you, members of the media.
52:03This concludes our weekly press briefing.
52:07As the Trinidad and Tobago
52:09Police Service continues
52:11to protect and serve with pride,
52:13we are calling on all
52:15citizens of Trinidad and Tobago
52:17to get on board with us
52:19to ensure that everyone is able
52:21to live in a crime-free
52:23society.
52:25Are you on board?
52:29This is my country,
52:31and I am on board.
52:33I am on board with the Trinidad
52:35and Tobago Police Service.
52:37Let us save the youth of the nation.
52:39Get on board.
52:41Crime affects all of us,
52:43children, communities, and the country as a whole.
52:45Supporting crime victims
52:47and working with the police service,
52:49I am on board.
52:51This is my country, and I am on board.
52:55My name is Nikolai Blackmon,
52:57and I am on board with the TTPS.
52:59Vision on Mission
53:01is proud to partner with the TTPS
53:03because crime prevention
53:05is everybody's business.
53:07We are the National Congress of
53:09Incorporated Spiritual Baptist Organizations
53:11of Trinidad and Tobago,
53:13and we are on board with the TTPS
53:15in its fight against crime.
53:17I am a farmer. This is my country,
53:19and I am on board.
53:21I am Charles Jason Gordon,
53:23the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Portisville.
53:25I am on board
53:27in the TTPS fight against crime.
53:29We are all on board.
53:47Welcome back to Beyond the Tape.
53:49I'm your host Marc Bessant with Sergeant Ben
53:50Batson the route safety coordinator
53:52for the Trinidad and Tobago
53:54police service, and just
53:56your quick thoughts about the
53:58scrapping of the demerit
54:00points,
54:02and your impressions.
54:05Well, the Mary Point system is what we call a driver
54:09management system.
54:10It's a whole purpose when the Ministry of Works and Transport
54:13brought it out was to target driver recidivism.
54:18And so it's going to be in general.
54:21Our job is law enforcement.
54:23Whatever policies that they bring in,
54:25we are there to enforce it.
54:28Those areas were specifically managed by licensing division.
54:33Any revision to it, we just hope we'll
54:36continue to reinforce changing driver behavior because that's
54:40what we're trying to do and reinforce them
54:42doing the correct thing so that there's
54:44an effective consequence.
54:45Another person said, well, you know the ticket is, well,
54:48remember, a rich person could pay a ticket easily.
54:51But once points coming on, it doesn't
54:53matter if you're rich or poor.
54:54It's going to affect you.
54:56And that's why it really helps level the plane system.
54:59It's an international feature for many licensing systems.
55:02So it's going to be interesting to see what the administration
55:05comes up with.
55:06Maybe they might have something that they might reintroduce.
55:08Because we have some good ideas to share.
55:10Yeah, well, then I guess that conversation
55:12has to happen with your homeland security minister, Alexander.
55:16And others, of course, may help so
55:18that we can find that semblance and that balance
55:21on the roadways so that people don't think that now they
55:24can do anything that they want.
55:25Yes, exactly.
55:26Exactly.
55:26And I'm glad you mentioned that because what
55:28was put out there, we just want to mention,
55:31everything remains the same until the laws have changed.
55:34Whether it's by amending the act or ministerial order,
55:38we have our jobs to do.
55:39And just to recap, we're going into the rainy season.
55:42And any advice you would want to give those who are probably
55:45now watching the last bits of the program,
55:49just in a nutshell, but just about a minute ago?
55:51Sure, well, I just want to emphasize to everyone
55:54and listeners and viewers that the loss of Officer Gill
55:59as a fellow police officer really sends it home
56:05that we are all vulnerable to any type of bad decision
56:12making that could occur on our roadway.
56:14There's going to be a consequence.
56:17The rainy season has now started.
56:20Us being responsible drivers, just
56:22trying to get to your destination safely,
56:24that has to be your focus.
56:25And the little tips that we've mentioned,
56:27such as making sure your tires are in good condition,
56:31your windscreen wipers are working,
56:33making sure that, one, you create
56:36more space between cars, please make that difference
56:40and be alert on the roads, especially on these wet roads.
56:44Right, Sergeant Batson, thanks so much for your time
56:46of your stay.
56:46As he says, make that difference on the roadways.
56:49Ensure that your vehicle is road-worthy and road-safe
56:53in terms of safety.
56:55All right, we meet tonight at 11.30.
56:58We run tomorrow at 11 o'clock.
57:00The TV6 News is up next.
57:02Stay with us, and we'll see you back here tomorrow at 6.
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