GUYANA DESERVES BETTER DRIVERS

Oct 06, 2015 Editorial, Features / Columnists

The coalition government is just over four months old but it is the perfect time for it to start making the changes it promised during the election campaign. It is incumbent on the government to be the instrument of positive change.
The people can take guidance and encouragement from the government and initiate in a positive way some meaningful change in their behaviour as well as in their communities. This will certainly help to make the country a better place so that everyone can live in peace, unity and harmony and as one people.
One way to bring about change in society is by changing the way people drive, ride and walk on the nation’s roads. There is evidence that the vast majority of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians pay no attention to the speed limit and other traffic signs that are installed to ensure the safety of everyone on the roads.
The time to stop the reckless and drunk driving on the roads is now. Families can no longer bear any more pain of their loved ones being killed on the roads. The carnage has overwhelmed the people who also have to cope with armed robberies and murders almost daily. Last weekend, death stalked the roadways killing four persons, including a police officer and a senior citizen. This is happening too often.
Obviously, the government cannot dictate the behaviour of road users, it is up to each individual to follow the rules and observe the traffic safety regulations. However, many including pedestrians and cyclists who are the most vulnerable users of the road seem to get a thrill out of doing exactly the opposite.
They have become accustomed to using the road recklessly since there is often no effective law enforcement to prevent them from breaking the law. This should not surprise anyone, but the government has to act to make sure that police officers enforced the traffic laws.
The sparsity of traffic police on the roads and highways is the main reason why road users, mostly drivers, are able to be delinquent with impunity. Without proper and effective policing to arrest speeding, drunk and reckless drivers on the roads, traffic accidents and fatalities will skyrocket. In Guyana, it is the norm for some drivers to exceed the speed limit, overtake on the double lanes and ignore traffic lights, stop signs and school crossing lanes.
Such has been the attitude of drivers for years. The police have not done anything about it and by not doing anything, it appears that the police are either highly incompetent or they are condoning the breaking of the traffic laws.
It is the responsibility of the police to protect the nation from the careless driving habits of individuals who have and continue to endanger lives. It is not right and it is not fair that a normal road user should feel intimidated and fearful when driving, riding or walking on the roads.
It is only right for all road users to respect others and observe the five Cs of defensive driving—Care, Common Sense, Consideration, Courtesy and Caution. This will go a far way in helping to reduce accidents, deaths, pain and suffering.
This is the change that must be made not only by the coalition government or the police, but by every reasonable and civic-minded person in society. Careless drivers should be suspended and drunk drivers should be banned for an extended period of time. The police and jurists must do their job of punishing these miscreants once and for all. There must be a serious approach to protecting the citizens not only from the bandits who use guns but also from those who use vehicles to threaten and endanger the lives of others. The nation is deserving of better drivers.

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GUYANA DESERVES BETTER DRIVERS

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