Dear Editor,
The question is asked time and time again why are some folks still behind the wheel of a motorable vehicle? We’ve gone through this topic so many times over that I have lost count. My humble opinion on this subject is not to focus on the problem any longer – we can go on discussing this in eddying circles from now to eternity – my take on this subject is to find a lasting, workable, solution and stick to it.
Our discussion comes against a backdrop of some gruesome vehicular homicides in recent days on our nation’s roads. The first that comes up for review is the accident that took the lives of both driver and passenger in a minibus. Video footage from that horrific accident shows a driver going at a terrific speed before the crash, that driver couldn’t have controlled that vehicle after the initial impact. So, why the excessive speeding, why the mad rush? There is no need for this reckless road usage because it will eventually lead to death and destruction!
In a later interview with this guy’s father, it was revealed that it is his son’s obsession with speeding whenever he gets behind the wheel. In fact, he was involved in an accident some time ago that left a pedestrian permanently paralysed. So, the question comes forcefully to us, seeing we have such an irresponsible driver and one who has no care for his life or other road users, why is he still behind the wheel of a vehicle?
Why are such irresponsible persons still on our roads? Are we going to wait until more lives are lost before we do something about him or other such drivers? I think not, my take on such reckless persons is to deal with them swiftly and condignly. In my book, he should never be behind the wheel of a vehicle, end of discussion! When you have persons of such mentality on our roads it is just a recipe for disaster, which in this case came sooner than later.
When drivers of vehicles are faced with the reality that their licenses would be permanently revoked, then and only then, will we see a drastic reduction in the spate of vehicular homicides on our roads. If drastic action is not taken, the madness will continue.
As a frequent traveller by public transport in the Berbice to Georgetown route, it was my nightmare of an experience to have travelled in a vehicle with a driver who believes that no vehicle should be ahead of him. His way of driving is that you drive at speeds over 120 km, taking every turn with the same momentum (driving instructors would tell you that you cannot manoeuvre a curved bend on the road at the same speed as you would on a horizontal stretch of roadway) but this idiot of a driver did. At about the turn at Tempe Village, this driver negotiated that turn in the very same manner, barely missing a parked truck at the side of the road. I called out to him to desist, but my plea fell on deaf ears, he treated me as if I wasn’t there. In my book, he should not be behind a wheel of a vehicle.
You see this driver’s modus operandi is he is aiming to make three trips to Georgetown every day and nothing is going to stop him. Filling his pocket becomes the prime objective so making the roadway a racetrack is all that matters for him. The value of life and limb is not of much interest to him. These are some of the problems that confront us on our roads.
Then, there is the perennial problem of drunk driving as was evident in the little girl who lost her life on the Essequibo Coast. That driver throws the rule of the road not to drink and drive down the toilet and so his careless, carefree use of the roadway caused the death of that little girl. Again, I say there is a pretty simple solution to his problem, some good time in incarceration and total revocation of his driving privileges. There can be no excuse for drunk driving, absolutely none!
So, with the widening of existing roadways as well as the building of new highways, it is my fear and trepidation that there will be more deaths on our roads once the present laxity persists when dealing with errant drivers. At this stage of our development, heavy emphasis has to be put on the safe use of our thoroughfares. A sure way to achieve this objective is swift and decisive action to be taken to bring the wayward few into line when using our nation’s roadways.
Respectfully,
Neil Adams
