Ponder on Road Accidents

Points To Points (6)

                                      Ponder on Road Accidents

          Road accidents have become a common scene and almost a daily occurrence in Malaysia.  They have become almost a characteristic feature in our country.  The number of road accident casualties are extremely high. What are the causes for the frequent road accidents and high number of fatalities?  We have repeated the causes many times multiply many times already.  Now the problem is why the road users did not learn from the mistakes of others and avoided car accidents.  Another question is why the authorities concerned cannot effectively reduce car accidents to its possible minimum level despite wasting so much money, time and energy. 

          Here I would like to repeat the causes another time.  One of the causes is the condition of the vehicle.  It is within the power of the vehicle owner to keep the vehicle in good condition at all times.  Now the question is how many vehicle owners comply to this rule. 

          Another cause is the attitude of road users.  It is within the control of road users.  They should know when to overtake and when not.  They should be clear the speed they are allowed at different parts of the road.  But some drivers are reckless and selfish.  Hence, I believe in the power of the traffic police to interfere and catch these traffic offenders.  Frequent patrolling of the traffic police can be very effective to prevent these reckless and selfish drivers from endangering the lives of themselves and other road users.

          However, I still insist that the main cause of all  is the road conditions.  It is the within the power of the authorities concerned to improve and maintain.  Now the question is how duty-bound and responsible our authorities concerned are to improve and maintain the road system.  According to Samy Vellu “What went wrong?”, our government have spent RM224million  over the last five years on federal roads to reduce accidents.  The government have done so much and much to improve and maintain the major federal roads, including federal route one and two!!  Now the question is how much our government have done to improve and maintain the other roads: either municipal or state.  He said, ‘’Of the RM224 million spent under the Eighth Malaysia Plan, RM 126.7 million was used to used to build special motorcycle lanes.  Along major federal roads, including federal route one and two. bilibala...............” 

          In view of high number of motorcyclist fatalities, he failed to show us clear pictures and statistics of the related accidents at the places where there are special motorcyclist lanes and where there are not.  Now the question is he did not show us in statistics in comparison in terms of  the number of fatalities of the motorcyclists before and after the building of the special motorcycle lanes.  He did not tell us clearly if the special motorcyclist lanes are useful or not.  He could not point out to us the clear picture and statistics of the length of the special motorcycle lanes in ratio to the total length of the main road system as a whole.  Alamat!  What a curse!  What a shame!   He just ‘bilibala’ on the fragment pieces of facts to cover up his disabilities to solve the real causes of these ‘fatal’ problems. 

He has not evaluated the effectiveness of the headlight switching on of the motorcyclists in broad daylight since it started 10 over years ago to prevent or reduce the number of fatalities involving motorcyclists.  Everything he uttered is too blurred and too general to understand the causes and hence remedies to solve.  Therefore, the ‘fatal’ problems remain as ‘lethal’ year after year. 

          Now the question is how much and how well the roads are improved and maintained.  Now the question is how many sharp corners to the total sharp corners have been straightened to prevent accidents.  Now the question is  how many road barriers have been built so far in terms of the total number of road barriers that are required to be built in our road system. 

          In view of the high number of fatalities involving motorcyclists, I can assure to say that the road system are ‘far off’ motorcycle-users-friendly.

I can say it for sure, there are not enough special motorcyclist lanes and safety measures to protect them. 

          Now it is the right, immediate and consistent actions that count.  I would suggest a committee to be set up to study the causes of each accident and find out the remedial measures to prevent. Show us the statistics of the places, the road and vehicle conditions, the driver attitudes and other related causes of road accidents and effective preventive measures taken.

          I agree with the suggestion of someone to install the camera at those strategic locations to catch the reckless and selfish driver red-handed.

          Stationing our traffic police in booths at the strategic locations and frequent patrolling of our traffic police help too.

          Please review the fatalities involving different vehicle users often enough and meditate in depth and width so that the truth will manifest itself.  According to the recent report of road fatalities during the dual festivals of Deepavalli and Hari Raya Puasa (15 November, 2005, the See Hua Daily News), 141 cases out of the total 233 road fatalities are the motorcyclists !!!!!!!!!!!  Look! 60.3% of the road fatalities involving the motorcyclists.  Now I think what Samy Vellu should ponder and meditate is how to reduce road fatalities involving the motorcycle users.  He should learn to be more goal and target oriented to achieve the desirable results.  If the government can reduce the road fatalities involving motorcyclists, they can solve the real ‘lethal’ problems once and for all.  I still assert that our road system and policies must be motorcycle-users friendly to solve these ‘fatal’ problems.