The daily roll of traffic accidents, traffic fatalities and traffic-related injuries in the newspapers is becoming nauseatingly common-place. So much so that in the newspapers themselves and in our minds this news is being relegated to a secondary issue. However, they do make mind-numbing statistics; each fatality and injury is a tragic drama, and the economic, social and personal burden that results from it is astronomical, both to the individual families and to the country as a whole.
Each one of us, car owners or otherwise, bike lovers and road users need to stop and look at these figures closely and faithfully. It might not matter if we are simply onlookers and spectators for third-party tragedies; the chances are that, at some point in time, it will hit closer to home. It would be a great pity if this change in mentality and practice is brought on, like a Damocles sword, because of a personal tragedy.
Rather than apportioning blame to particular stakeholders, a complex problem such as this should be tackled in a more inclusive, organised way.
In our opinion, the basis of such a solution, as already stated in the Road Traffic Strategy of 2014, should have three main aspects: education, road engineering and enforcement.
Our roads should be sound in both their make-up and construction quality. Currently there are a lot of projects being undertaken to ease the flow of traffic by widening roads and building flyovers. However, existing roads should also be maintained.
Co-operation between road users should also be overseen by a proper enforcement initiative, making use of both electronic equipment, such as surveillance, speed, and SPECS cameras, along with an increased police and law enforcement presence.
Education is a factor in which we all play a crucial part, as we are all sharing the use of our roads. Road courtesy is something that we should all subscribe to, giving priority to road safety. Simple actions such as indicating, and doing so correctly, obeying traffic lights and stop signs, and navigating roundabouts correctly, if done conscientiously by each and every one of us, will contribute greatly to reducing the stress of our daily commuting, and we will all be better people for it.
However, if we don’t embrace this change in mentality, sooner rather later, the chances are that some day, you or I could become another unfortunate statistic in the news of the day, leaving behind only grieving families and pain.