October 9, 2009, Friday
WITH every festive season the police and relevant authorities would launch a nationwide road safety exercise aimed at reducing the alarmingly high rates of traffic accidents and fatalities.The exercise known as ‘Ops Sikap’ is basically to change the attitude of all road users to obey traffic rules while on the road. Now that Ops Sikap 2009 which was launched before Hari Raya Aidilfitri on September 13 has ended, the results or statistics showed an increase in death tolls and this should be seen as a wake up call to all road users in the country.
The exercise registered 238 fatalities and the overwhelming number of victims were motorcyclists.
Here, in Sarawak the report released by the state traffic police indicated Ops Sikap 2009 as seeing fewer road deaths. Although this report serves as a source of comfort in terms of fewer human lives lost, the fact remains that the overall high road accidents in Sarawak is very worrying.
No matter how we look at the figures, there is no denying that they tell a grim story, and it continues unabated.
There are three key elements in traffic safety: the road users (drivers, pedestrians, and motorcyclists), the road, and the vehicle.
According to Malaysian Institute of Road Safety (Miros) there are four listed variables to better road safety: educa-tion, engineering, enforcement, and the environment.
Certainly, attention to these factors would enhance overall road safety and reduce accident rates. The dominant factors here are indifferent attitude to basic traffic rules and regulations and the infamous bad habits on the road.
Awareness campaigns on road safety through various media such as the electronic media, public service announcements and billboards are simply taken for granted. Reminders such as ‘Be careful!’, ‘Be considerate!’, ‘Be patient!’ and ‘Use your seat belt!’ are usually unheeded.
Drivers should be constantly reminded on what should be obvious driving courtesy such as keeping a safe distance between their cars and the one immediately ahead of them if they are going at a designated speed limit. The drivers should also be taught on entering merging traffic and in avoiding distractions, as in using hand phones.
A main tragedy in the loss of precious lives and bodies maimed in road accidents is that the victims are often healthy and young people, often in the prime of their life. Common bad driving habits and a frequent source of accidents such as entering merging traffic without the proper signalling and courtesy are also rampant.
Distractions caused by using handphone while driving are also common. Consequently each and every one of us – the road users must play our part to prevent such incidents and certainly Sarawak cannot afford such losses any longer.
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