Respect the Road

Aug 10, 2015 Letters

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Dear Editor,
The problem with Guyana’s chaotic road use culture is not lack of driving knowledge and skills, it is that most drivers do not understand how to properly use the road.
I’ve been sitting on this letter since the latter half of 2014 after with the intent to observe road use patterns which contribute to the gruesome, costly and unnecessary accidents on our roadways.
Let me also say that I have not driven in any other country where the road use culture is comparable to the level of dangerous driving, inconsideration and clear breach of laws are prevalent like I have experienced in Guyana.  And it is not me alone, I’ve talked with visitors, resident Guyanese and non-Guyanese who all feel the same.
What is hard for me to understand is that our road network is very small, the distance between town or city centers for the average Guyanese is not far yet some drivers, especially minibus and taxi drivers operate like they are always late, always in a rush.
Newsflash, if you are late plan use of your time better do not drive dangerously on the road and bring misery to the lives of people just like you who are also working hard to make a daily bread.
Before listing the patterns I alluded to earlier it is suffice to say that in addition to promoting and rewarding proper road use must involve:
(1) greater enforcement of fines and penalties for even the smallest of driving offense including failing to signal before a turn, illegal overtaking, double parking and so on;
(2) modernized training and testing for driver’s license – e.g. the book one has to study in order to obtain a driver’s license in Guyana focuses on understanding road signs, speed limits and in general laws pertaining to road usage, little actually speaks to proper road use behaviors based on best practices and observation of local road use patterns which actually result in chaos and frequent accidents,
(3) a points based driver’s license system.  I know drivers that have killed and have permanently injured persons and property who received a slap on the wrist and either paid a small fine or settled the matter out of court; these drivers continue to drive on our roadways today and
(4) reducing opportunities for bribes paid to traffic cops either to turn a blind eye or compromise the integrity of an investigation; I fully support increasing the salaries and qualifications and introducing performance base salary and other types of incentives for traffic police in particular.
What follows is a list of road use behaviors which I have personally observed and recognize as some of the main contributing factors of the alarming rate of accidents and road rage in Guyana:
(a) excessive speeding – I have seen persons speeding to be the first in line at a red light or speeding to get in front of a car the speeding driver perceives in moving too slow only to end up right in front of the slow driver moving at the pace they were moving when they were behind the perceived slower driver.  This is one of the most imbecilic observations I have come across.
(b) Failure to stop for vehicles reversing into oncoming traffic – Time and time again I have seen cars reversing and drivers speeding past the reversing car instead of waiting 3-5 seconds for the car to complete reversing and drive off
(c) Driving through red lights – I cannot count the number of times I’ve seen mini buses, car drivers and even drivers of police and government vehicles driving straight through a red light without any indication that there was an emergency or need to.  How can drivers be expected to follow the rules of the road and practice good road use behavior when those entrusted with upholding the law are the very ones breaking the law.
(d) Failure to stop within reasonable distance at an intersection or corner before proceeding straight or turning – In other words, many drivers poke out the front of their vehicles at these junctions in hopes of getting the oncoming traffic to slow and stop so the driver can proceed to turn or drive straight across the road.  These drivers are the causes or many fender benders and further traffic delays.
(e) Parties that have spilled over into the street therefore disrupting the flow of traffic – There’s no need to expand on this, it is self-evident and obvious to each of us.
(f)  Accelerating through blind spots – This I never understood.  Blind spots are created when someone is unable to see the end he/she is preparing to make or if the drive cannot see the completion of the maneuver he/she intends to make.  Therefore the said driver is unable to see if another road user is proceeding into the driver’s path either from the side, opposite direction or from an angle.
(g) Illegal and risky overtaking – Some drivers just need to speed but speed and stupidity are a deadly combination.  Add alcohol and peer pressure, and we begin to see the complexity of Guyana’s road use culture, in particular on the coast.  I’ve seen overtaking around turns and overtaking by drivers who decide that the road shoulder or parapet is part of the road.
(h) Unnecessary use of car horns – Guyanese are funny creatures.  We call for and expect development, yet many of us by way of our behaviors and thoughts contribute to the under-development of our families, homes and communities.  There is no need to use your horn just before or as soon as a light is changing from red to green.  There is no use to use your horn multiple times in a traffic congestion, everyone wants to get out of it, not just you.  I list this here because use of horns distract drivers which causes us to react to the horn and lose focus albeit briefly.
Editor, there are a number of other behaviors which reveal that there is a grave lack of consideration applied by many drivers.  I believe if we were to encourage and promote specific behavioral change involving the above-mentioned improper road use behavioral patterns we would see less accidents and more consideration applied by drivers.
R. Small

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