THE carnage and destruction on roads are not caused by speeding but by drivers who are either reckless, selfish or not skilled enough to drive. The car is a lethal weapon and used wrongly it is a killing machine.

Many people have a nonchalant attitude towards road safety and courtesy. Reversing on highways when a turn is missed, parking our car anywhere we like, driving close to the car in front, talking on the phone while trying to manoeuvre the car in tight circles are all too common.

Everyone thinks the law does not apply to them. I have seen government vehicles speeding, parked on road shoulders, parked dangerously on corners, and which are not roadworthy.

I have seen drivers of big expensive cars behave as if their road tax has paid for the whole highway, seen Kancils speeding at breakneck speed when the car is not designed to do so. I recently saw a police car going up the wrong way in a one way street. I have seen official cars breaking the speed limit and driven recklessly.

What does all this prove? No one cares and everyone thinks they have the right to break traffic rules.

I have many times stopped at police road blocks and asked them why police and other vehicles are not stopped. I am told the drivers of such vehicles are on official duty. Show me which part of our law allows officials on duty to break the rules.

The authorities are hell bent on nabbing speedsters but ignore those with bad driving habits, such as hogging the middle and fast lanes or turning without indicating or driving in and out of lanes.

Looking for vehicles without road tax does not reduce accidents or bad attitude drivers. To make matters worse, we get discounts if we don’t pay up and wait until some offer comes along. The penalty should increase with the passing of each month. Reckless drivers should be detained at a safe place and allowed to continue only after three hours.

I suggest reckless drivers be charged with attempted murder. They possess a killing machine and do not take due care while operating it. We do not have good role models. The police, enforcement officers, parents, teachers and other drivers do not pass on the right mindset to those coming out to the driving world.

Draconian measures with the authorities leading the way in showing good attitude on the road is the only way forward.

Source: The Sun – March 1, 2010