Rarotonga’s road environment continues to be plagued by poor driver behaviour with carelessness and drunkenness leading the way as the main factors, says Cook Islands Police.

Police media and strategic advisor Trevor Pitt says that Police have had to deal with eight traffic incidents in just two days, resulting in two arrests, a string of minor injuries, and thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to vehicles.

Pitt says the road crashes since Thursday ranged from a motorcyclist vs dog crash at Ruatonga to a crash opposite the Islander Hotel where a car had collided into parked vehicles, on Saturday morning where a 42 year old male driver was arrested for drunk driving.

A crash opposite the Islander Hotel where a car had collided into parked vehicles was reported to Police early Saturday morning. POLICE MEDIA / 25030925 / 25030926

He was remanded into prison, was expected to be bailed and is to appear in Court this week.

Two incidents occurred in the vicinity of Rarotonga International airport, one was on late Thursday morning involving the driver of a car who failed to give way to a vehicle while turning into the airport, causing a collision.

The other on Friday night involved two motorbikes at the western exit where one driver collided with two people on another vehicle.

He said the offending driver was arrested and remanded into prison.

A 20 year old male is to appear in Court this week.

And police transported a number of people to hospital for medical attention following reported road incidents.

One, was called in at 2.25am Saturday where a 22 year old female fell off the back of a truck reported to be full of people and the truck carried on.

The victim sustained minor injuries.

Another occurred several minutes later when a 19 year old male motorcyclist crashed into a hedge at Kiikii Motel. He was taken to hospital for treatment.

Other traffic incidents reported to the Police last week, there was a minor motorbike spill at the St. Joseph’s road intersection in town on Thursday morning, and a crash in Tikioki on Thursday afternoon when a 51 year old female driver blacked out and hit a pole near Fruits of Rarotonga.

In other matters, Police were called to RFC Avarua at 2.42am on Saturday over a complaint of threatening behaviour with a bush knife.

A second man was arrested on Saturday in connection with the bush knives incident in town. 25030927

A man had been apprehended when the second man ran off. Two bush knives were seized by Police. A 20 year old, resident in Australia, was subsequently arrested and remanded into prison on a charge of carrying an offensive weapon in public.

The second man was arrested later in connection with the bush knives incident in town on the same morning. The 20 year old was charged with carrying an offensive weapon in public. Police confiscated his passport and he was bailed to appear in court this week.