EARLIER in the week, two women tragically lost their lives. The avoidable circumstances served as a clear reminder of the necessity for all types of road users, especially pedestrians, to consistently prioritise their safety.

The point of highlighting these deaths is not to blame the victims or paint them in a negative light, but rather, to highlight what can occur when road users are not paying attention to their surroundings or when they make bad decisions.

Pedestrians never imagine being fatally struck by a truck or that leaving home for work or errands could be their final goodbye to loved ones.
In the first incident, the victim stood alongside a vehicle chatting with the driver on Water Street, a busy thoroughfare. That vehicle, which was double parked, was an obstruction to other drivers using that lane.

The woman had positioned herself directly in the path of oncoming traffic. A truck driver apparently miscalculated her position and squeezed her against the other vehicle as he passed. She died while being tended to at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation for severe crush injuries.
Two days later, another woman was killed at Princes and High Streets when she ran into the path of a motor lorry while attempting to cross the road.

The 36-year-old woman was dragged some distance from the point of impact and was later pronounced dead on the scene by Emergency Medical Technicians.
These two incidents are a stark reminder of the damage motor vehicles and trucks can cause when they come into contact with people.
As children, we are taught to look left, look right, then look left again, and if the road is clear, then we cross. We must never be in a hurry to cross a roadway especially when there is heavy traffic. Waiting patiently until the road is clear or a courteous driver stops, is the only way to make it across safely.

Too often, pedestrians, pedal cyclists, and other road users display impatience, in many instances to their own detriment. The five ‘Cs’ are hardly enforced by drivers, many of whom have little regard for other road users.

Following the aforementioned accidents, an online media outlet published an image of a school boy clinging onto the rear of a moving minibus. This situation will generate anxiety for parents, members of the public who are traveling, and road users.
The bus driver seemed to be oblivious to the situation. Since he was in a blind spot, he couldn’t see the child in his mirrors.

What possessed this child to do that? Why didn’t anyone stop the bus and reprimand the child? These are some of the questions many might ask. As dangerous as it might be, this is fun for a boy. The child might not have had the bus fare and decided that he could hitch a free ride by jumping onto the bus when the driver was not looking. One shudders to think what could have happened if the driver had suddenly swerved from another vehicle or suddenly dropped into a pot hole.

School boys have been engaging in this practice on numerous occasions throughout the years. Another dangerous practice is when cyclists hold on to the back of a moving horse cart.
The Guyana Police Force is doing as much as it can to engage the public about road safety and how to correctly use the roads. Ranks regularly engage truck and minibus drivers and have been visiting schools to take the message to learners.

The police are fulfilling their role, and now it’s the responsibility of the public to be cautious while driving. Exercise caution and thoughtfulness towards others when using it, with your safety as the utmost priority.