Over the New Year’s holiday weekend, three persons lost their lives on Guyana’s roadways while 10 were injured. These daunting figures unfolded as persons ushered in the new year.
In the aftermath of this recent horrendous and seemingly unprecedented number of fatal road accidents within a fairly short period of time, the consequences have attracted national attention. Many families are now left trying to cope with the loss of loved ones. Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) alone has had three horrific road deaths a mere two days into the new year.
The sudden and shocking death of someone close, especially due to an accident, can never be easy. The ensuing excruciating pain and mental trauma that are inflicted on surviving relatives can be unbearable.
In a fleeting moment, families were plunged into sadness and despair, having received the dreadful news that an accident took the life of someone dear to them. That’s the painful result and often, its real and lingering impact may be hidden from the spotlight of the media.
The reality is, people, including those who survive an accident, suffer in unimaginable ways. The holiday weekend spate of accidents even prompted some to ask the question, how many more? One interpretation from that simple question speaks to whether lessons are being learnt from accidents over time. In other words, how many more have to die before better care is taken while using the roadways?
Given what has taken place, one could not be faulted for concluding that the results of the accidents may not have inspired more responsible behaviour. However, judging from sentiments expressed by eyewitnesses, it appears that more cognisance has seemingly been brought to the mindsets of many.
While that is extremely heartening, there is uncertainty as to whether the mindsets of the regular errant drivers have been impacted, or if they have learnt anything from what were obviously painful experiences of others. Judging from what continues to take place on the roadways, it seems clear that many drivers have not learnt or are clearly refusing to even be bothered by the harrowing fatal accidents.
On a daily basis, many drivers use the roadways in a very reckless manner, thereby endangering occupants and other road users; and the least, themselves. It becomes painful even to see how they manoeuvre, seemingly, without an iota of care for others. Again, it brings into question the role of law enforcement to try and curb such irresponsible behaviour, especially since some traffic violations do occur in the presence of Police.
The general public is hurting and is pleading for help.
Even if the Police were to offer an excuse, inexcusable as it may be, there is none that can be offered for not using the public CCTV cameras to take action against the errant drivers. Many of these cameras are strategically placed at some intersections where traffic lights are mounted and other areas. Very often, persons, generally using the cameras from their cellphones, would snap and post a picture of a traffic violation.
Many of those violations involve a minibus. It begs another question: if members of the public can take the time and effort to highlight daily traffic violations and based on these efforts, the Police sometimes intervene, why can’t the Police themselves use the CCTV cameras in a sustained effort to make defaulters face the law? Millions of taxpayers’ dollars were used to procure and mount those cameras; therefore, their value must be to the benefit of the public.
Importantly, the Police must holistically demonstrate that sense of commitment to genuinely collaborate with members of the public to collectively tackle the situation. The pain people feel is real and crushing.
