Let us collectively tackle lawlessness on the roads with zero tolerance

Nov 13, 2014 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
Not a day passes by without any news of an accident on the roads in this dear country of ours. It seems that we are not fed up with the numerous pictures of mangled cars, and dead bodies on our roads. Hence it is timely for me to ask the question” Who’s keeping house in Guyana? Or perhaps simpler put, “Who is looking after the affairs of the home?”
Time does not permit me to wait for the response, as it is blatantly obvious that no one is in charge.  What are the Police and the Ministry of Home Affairs doing, to curb the poor road discipline currently being displayed by motor vehicle owners, and which translates into Guyana being robbed of its most valuable resources?
Enough is enough!  Sound the cry near and far, let us start an all-out war, against the streets of Guyana being converted into crime scenes. This kind of report is repeated over and over again, year in, year out, as more and more people are killed and injured, sometimes maimed for life – and the horror remains with survivors, families and friends for the rest of their lives.
We need to stop killing and maiming each other on our roads. How many families will lose a close relative? How many people will lose an arm, or a leg, or an eye, or become paralyzed?  How many people will end up in hospital?  How many people’s holiday will be ruined? How many vehicles will be damaged, or completely written off? How much money is all that going to cost?
Surely we can do something to stop all this. Surely we must do something to stop all this, soon and very soon too, before another Guyanese goes home to meet his maker via the street.
In 2011, the World Health Organization data on road accidents listed Guyana as being the highest in the world. Ironic that even in tragedy we will score a first. Guess you can’t stop a Guyanese. We know what causes accidents: speed, alcohol, drugs, cell phone distraction, tiredness, unroadworthy vehicles, unlicenced drivers, and misjudgement when overtaking are the main culprits.
Yes we all know, so where do we go. Quo Vadis?
A “road crash” is not a random event:  it can be prevented by the adoption of measures that are clearly outlined in the five pillars of the ongoing 2011-2020 United Nations Decade of Road Safety which is supported by 103 countries worldwide, of which Guyana is included.
Let me elaborate.  Four of the five pillars of the Decade of Action are geared to:
1. Strengthening institutional capacity to further national road safety efforts, including activities such as establishing a lead agency for road safety in the country involving partners from a range of sectors and developing a national road safety strategy.
2. Influencing safety road design and network management to make roads safer for users, particularly the vulnerable (pedestrians, cyclists, children, the elderly, bus passengers) and reducing severity of crashes.
3. Making vehicles safer by adopting motor vehicle safety standards; implementing new car safety assessment programs; and ensuring that all new cars are equipped with seat belts that meet regulatory requirements and pass applicable crash test standards; and
4. Influencing road user behaviour through sustained enforcement of road traffic laws and standards and rules combined with public awareness/education activities. It is evident that our country lags behind and in some cases far behind other countries when it comes to road safety.
One appalling form of our behaviour on the road is the speed at which we drive. Guyanese motorists tend to think that once they are behind the steering wheel their flesh turns into iron and they can drive at any speed because they are invincible. It is downright stupid and irresponsible.
There is a crying need for proactive measures to halt the upwardly spiraling carnage on our roads. However, “better law enforcement” in this respect has many dimensions and a holistic approach over a longer period is absolutely crucial in finding effective solutions. Better law enforcement, investment in breathalysers, and swift, hard and harsh punishment for offenders, that would send a strong clear message to other motorists – such as punishment for sellers of alcohol who allow drivers to take the wheel after imbibing above the accepted limit.
There have been allegations surrounding the motor vehicle industry, so we’ll root out corruption from the driver and vehicle licencing and testing environments. Over too many years now, we have been exposed to the gross irregularities and corrupt activities committed in this space, yet not enough is done to eradicate this behaviour by these public servants.
Let us collectively tackle lawlessness on the roads with zero tolerance. This involves not only the general disregard for the rules of the road, which is especially prevalent among taxi drivers (and is now also being emulated by growing numbers of “non-taxi” motorists), but also matters such as unroadworthy vehicles, overloaded and unlicenced vehicles, unlicenced drivers and motorists under the influence of alcohol.
All of these interventions require well trained and incorruptible manpower and resources. It is my fervent wish that 2015 will be a year of making hard decisions and action to halt the ongoing undermining of law and order on our roads. I also call on all spheres of business, the legal fraternity, insurance companies, the Police, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Education  and the wider public to stand together to demand that effective plans be immediately implemented to resolve the situation. This way we will be able to reduce the growing number of needless deaths that have become a bane and disgrace to the state of this country. Guyana needs all of us alive to make her great.
Yvonne Sam

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