Dear Editor,
The visitor who remarked in the letter to the press that, to an extent, the character of people is reflected in their conduct in traffic, for what it is worth, can take comfort in the empathy many residents share with that observation.
For those of us who are regaled daily with reports of the peremptory termination of lives, the dislocation of limbs, some ending in permanent disabilities, obdurately called ‘accidents’ on the roads, the character deficits must be attributed to all levels of the institution who (mis)manage transportation in this country. The resignation to just recording these perpetual incidents of threat to limb and life is palpable.
More than enough has been said about poor traffic management, poor lighting, poor signage in under-engineered roads, on which are allowed to travel all types, sizes and weights of vehicles, alarmingly at the same speeds.
But what in the face of this wanton decimation of the population cannot be forgiven, is the total indifference of all the relevant authorities to ensuring that all public transporters are appropriately trained and made to pass tests on the traffic regulations, before being certified as eligible to be licensed to drive.
How is it that conscience (and indeed the law) does not hearken to what is arguably ‘murder on the highway’, and does not feel a contributor to the onslaught. In this regard a deafening silence is perceived to emit from insurance companies, for example, with whom presumably not many of the victims are connected.
One never hears about the aftermath of disabled lives and traumatised families, as one would in the case of domestic murderers – perhaps leaving the not wholly exotic option of ‘murder on the highway’?
Yours faithfully,
E B John
