Vanuatu Daily Post - Police Column Jun 2, 2016
General public and drivers around Port Vila and surrounding sub urban areas are informed to drive and use the roads around Port Vila CBD with care. Drivers driving on speed limit 40 kmph are too fast when there is loose coral on the road surface.
The loose coral can cause the driver to lose control of their driven vehicle and could cause accident and endanger other road users.
There are road maintenance signs on the roads and drivers are ask to reduce their vehicle’s speed to 20 kmph or less when driving past these road signs indicating the maintenance work on road surface.
School kids must be cautious when using the roads to cross or walk along side of the road to school. School kids are asked to wear light colored clothing whilst walking along side of the roads so that they can be seen by the drivers. Police traffic is also calling on all drivers to slow down while driving close towards a school compound. A
person who drives a motor vehicle on a public road without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding Vt50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
Usage of mobile phone during driving has also contributed to causing accidents and causes severe damage and bodily injury to other road users. The fact that there is a lot of under 30 years drivers is not a factor of careless driving but it is a factor if those drivers fail to comply with the law mentioned.
Drivers driving on a public road must consider uses of signal lights before turn as contrary to section 5 of the Road Traffic Control Act Cap 29 Driver must indicate intention before maneuvering. Every driver wishing to draw away from the curb, to overtake a vehicle travelling in the same direction, to stop or to change direction must indicate his intention clearly by hand or light signal. The signals used shall be in accordance with Schedule 6.
Every driver wishing to overtake another vehicle shall, if necessary, sound his or her horn.
A driver shall satisfy himself that no danger exists to other road users or him before carrying out the above operations.