Last Tuesday night we once again experienced yet another horrific vehicular accident along the Vergenoegen Public Road resulting in the deaths of two persons, and there may be a third because one person is in a critical condition. However, all Guyana would hope he survives.
From all reports and indications it would appear that the driver of the vehicle going east was highly intoxicated as he and his deceased friend were on a drinking spree at Parika and returning home at around 23:00 hrs. It is therefore abundantly clear, like so many vehicular accidents in Guyana, that the tragic accident was alcohol related. The result being the death of two young persons and severe injuries to a third that may affect him for the rest of his life. This is apart from the emotional and psychological damage and suffering of their surviving families. Of course such damage and suffering are immeasurable and only the victims really feel and know the pain from such tragedies.
However, what is mind-boggling is that some drivers never seem to comprehend and realise the dangers driving under alcohol, although we have had so many tragic accidents that are alcohol related. The strange thing is that traffic patrols are virtually absent in the nights but this is when many errant drivers are under the influence of alcohol and therefore that is when traffic cops need to be more vigilant.
Nevertheless, drivers ought to be responsible people because they do not only have their lives in their hands but others as well. But maybe the recklessness and irresponsibility of our drivers is just a microcosm of the larger lawlessness that is enveloping our society. Regardless of whether this is so or not we have to have to stop this madness on our roads by implementing and rigidly enforcing laws and regulations, particularly, when it comes to such serious offences as drunken driving. If we continue to lose lives on our roads at this rate then our small population would be further decimated much to the detriment of our socio-economic development.
Albeit, enforcement of laws alone will not help to curb road accidents a greater need is to change the attitude of our drivers by ensuring that they are more responsible, careful and have respect for their lives and others, which of course is by no means an easy one in the Guyanese context.
Our roads today are not what it used to be a couple of decades ago in terms of the volume of traffic. Today the number of vehicles plying our roads has burgeoned, which is normal with increased living standards and economic growth. Unfortunately, there has not been a corresponding increase of a responsible attitude of drivers.
The long and short of this unfortunate situation is that we simply cannot allow it to go as if it is business as usual. Guyana has one of the highest per capita traffic accident rates in the world. Countries with very large population and many more times the number of vehicles have far lower accident rates. One of the major reasons for this is because drivers in those countries are very responsible and optimally follow the traffic rules and regulations.