By Latrishka Thomas
The inclement weather, which may persist for a while longer, can contribute to serious accidents if road users do not exercise caution, police say.
The heavy rainfall can increase poor visibility and flood waters can result in hydroplaning which has already been determined to be the cause of two minor traffic collisions.
Head of the Traffic Department, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rodney Ellis, told Observer that on Monday night there was a collision on Anchorage Road in the vicinity of Yorks junction and another on the Sir Sydney Walling Highway near the junction with the Sunnyside Primary School.
Though the collisions did not result in any serious damage to life or property, the traffic police are urging residents to stay indoors if possible.
Ellis shared that message to commuters saying, “based on the situation that we are facing now, my advice to motorists, if you don’t have any business to do in the city of St John’s or on the streets of Antigua and Barbuda, please stay at home”.
He continued, “However, if you have to travel out, please refrain from driving fast, or if you reach to these areas that are flooded, proceed with caution. If you don’t feel comfortable going through [floodwaters] turn back because you never know what could be in those areas that are flooded, because debris and other objects can be in that area that can cause your car or your vehicle to run off the road,” ASP Ellis said.
He added that there is no excuse for speeding or unnecessary driving now that the public is aware of the weather conditions.
“I could understand [Monday] the weather caught everybody leaving work at the same time, which created a real serious issue for us. Now that we know the situation, please stay off the road if you don’t have any business on the road,” he said.
Some recommendations for driving during heavy rains and floods is to slow down, don’t drive straight through large areas of water, and avoid the edge of roads.
Residents are also urged to secure their vehicles as much as possible since the floodwaters also caused vehicles to be washed away on Monday.