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Is it so hard to be a careful driver?

Nov 02, 2010 Letters

Dear Editor,
As a young driver, I have never been so discouraged in my life. Lately we have been seeing numerous road accidents. Does this mean that our rate of psychopathic drivers has increased? Well most obviously, in my opinion.
I’ve recently gotten my licence and it was actually a moment I had been looking forward to, as it meant I had some sort of independency in my means of transport and also, most importantly, responsibility.
In fact I was rather excited to start transporting myself and other members of my family around the town because somehow, I thought this practically made my arrival to adult hood official.
Now, on seeing the countless newspaper headlines about gruesome road accidents is the most discouraging thing I could have ever imagined as a new motor vehicle licensee.
Is it so hard to be a careful driver? Morning traffic is so very much insane! Most drivers are in a rush and couldn’t care less about whom or what they have to overtake to get to their destination.
I think in some sense this is selfishness and as for the mood – working traffic lights, I need not to say anything on those, as we all know how much of a nuisance they can be. So the math is very simple here…we calculate the selfish impatient drivers (and impatience level of such is indeed amaazing) plus the work-when-they-feel-like traffics lights plus the invisible traffic police and we are bound for disaster!
One my first day of driving on the road I was very delighted to see the police directing traffic by the traffic lights that were not working at the head of Irving street.
This gave me some sort of ease as a new driver, but after three days I never saw them again! This made me very upset, because now that traffic light practically malfunctions and probably is one of the most confusing ones in town. So where are the traffic police when they are needed?
Why do they only work in the mornings? Shouldn’t it be their duty to look for non-working traffic lights in the town and take up on directing traffic from there during the day? Our road signs are not visible and forever fading (one of the many things that make night driving frustrating!).
I recall a friend telling that she drove down a one way street three times one week, because of this. Is the traffic department moving around town with their eyes closed? Whatever happened to the use of speed guns and breathalyser tests that were broadcast ever so proudly and often on television? Is the traffic control hiding or just lazy?
Why do we see them patrolling more during Christmas season? I know I’m not the only one highly irritated by this.
The number of road accidents and fatalities are becoming increasingly disturbing. I read half of the article about the Corentyne accident and I could go no further as it was extremely depressing. When you think of it, all these people wanted to do was just get to their destinations.
The thought of a tragic death didn’t even cross their minds when they stepped into the bus. The traffic on the road really does make me nervous and even though I have confidence in my cautious driving, I am still sceptical about our unpredictable traffic and the gruesome surprises it is capable of presenting.
All I can say is: Dear drivers, please let us be considerate of each other and Dear Traffic Department, do not trust some of us at all to be considerate.
Our streets need to be monitored diligently and strictly. We need not see traffic as just vehicles running across the street but as delicate lives, destination bound.
Crystal Marcus

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