A near accident I was going to be involved in on Saturday, November 7, at 8.45 a.m. compels me to write against the arrogance being shown by many rogue drivers on the island. I was on a bicycle going round the T'Alla u Ommu roundabout, when a car coming uphill did not stop when it approached the roundabout despite the fact that I was already around the roundabout and heading out. If I wasn't prompt enough to brake, she would definitely have run over me.

She didn't even slow down when approaching the roundabout, or when she saw me, but continued ahead as if nothing had happened. Well you cannot expect better from drivers who are blatantly ignorant of road signs. It's enough to read the news article Fresh Charges Against Driver Accused Of Cyclist's Death, on the same day, to despair about the hazards on our roads.

However these are not isolated incidents. What makes this situation unbearable is the fact that we continuously see drivers doing a myriad of wrongdoings, driving slowly on the outer lane of a dual or more carriageway, driving in a dangerous manner on our minor roads, not obeying traffic signs except of course those where disobedience will affect their pockets (speed cameras), throwing cigarettes and trash out of the windows, driving vehicles that belch out smoke as if this is the most fashionable thing to do, entering main roads without stopping even if a vehicle is approaching on the main road, etc. And the list goes on and on.

Then to top it all off, the only public complaints we hear are those about pot holes, the SMS campaign against polluting vehicles, or those that write on the newspaper against "dangerous bicycles" on our roads. As if, were we to eliminate bicycles from our roads and remove pot holes, then our roads would become a heaven for driving with nothing more needed to improve! How far away are we from reality!

It does not cost any money for a driver to be courteous and respectful of other drivers or pedestrians. For sure, a little effort in driver courteousness will eliminate the current road rage displayed by many, and make our roads safe for other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists alike.

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