Too much heartbreak and tears on our roads and highways
It is that time of year again, “when the world falls in love,” and the question on everyone’s mind is usually, what do you want for Christmas? What will I do for Christmas? What will I give to a loved one, a relative, a friend, the charity kettle of Salvation Army, etc.? It’s always about giving something, to share what we have, and especially to help those less fortunate than ourselves to have an enjoyable Christmas, and especially to “eat, drink, and be merry” on that special day. But if I could wish for just one thing this Christmas, here is what it would be. I would wish and pray, for “peace and love” among all our people and around the world. Even if the big people in powerful countries insist on flexing their mighty weapons and AI technology to “win wars” and continue to spread death and mayhem around the world, at least we can try here at home to spread our little “peace and love” among all our people, from “border to border”, over land and sea, from Benque to Half Moon, from the “border (Rio Hondo) to the Boulevard” and on to Sarstoon — “peace and love,” Belize! And that means peace and love on our roads and highways too, where we have been killing each other with our haste and recklessness. In this fast fading year of 2024, there have been way too much heartbreak and too many tears on our roads and highways.
The Prime Minister is on point: we, all of us, need to slow down on our roads and highways. It is a simple case of mathematics, and a horrendous price we are paying as a nation—precious lives, and it keeps getting worse. So, the traffic officers and police will try to enforce the law more rigidly, and more of our tax dollars will hopefully be spent on improving road signs and lighting for nighttime driving. But the attitude of drivers needs to change. The irony is that, although the rule is “don’t drink and drive,” it is precisely when drinking that most drivers tend to exhibit more recklessness and bravado. Agreed, the terrible condition of some sections of our roads and highways may lead to drivers often having to divert, and thus increase the chances for incidents. But the human factor also plays a big part. In fact, the human factor, the attitude and approach of the one behind the wheel, is undoubtedly the most important ingredient in accomplishing a safe journey to our destination.
On the sea, the position of captain is revered in a tradition where the lives and safety of passengers are always understood to rest in the skill and composure of the one at the helm, the captain, whose sacred task is to deliver all passengers safely to their destination, notwithstanding the awesome and fickle forces of nature that can see calm waters quickly erupt into menacing waves and turbulent seas. Not so with vehicle drivers.
Somehow, perhaps because driving a car is seen to be easier than handling a boat at sea, the responsibility of a vehicle driver is not given the kind of attention and reverence that is given to a boat captain. Not only is a boat captain expected to know how to operate and maneuver his craft, but he must be well-schooled in the laws of navigation at sea, by day or night, to avoid collision with other craft. But, whereas the sea is a wide-open affair for boat captains once they have cleared harbor, drivers of motor vehicles are confined to a narrow stretch of road or highway at all times, and they have to share it with oncoming vehicles many times in any given journey in the villages, towns, cities or on the highways. Absolute care and sobriety are just as, or even more critical, for drivers of vehicles than for a boat captains.
Death by accident at sea is a rare occurrence. Although generally a boat captain may have the care of dozens of passengers at one time, while, except for buses, a vehicle driver is seldom responsible for more than five or six, every life is important, and the numbers are adding up. As the terrible carnage that we have seen occur on our roads can attest, we need to cultivate a new attitude for and towards vehicle drivers, in whose hands rest the safety of all their passengers.
There are many old-time sayings that ring true as much today as half a century and more ago: “too much hurry, get deh tomorrow; tek time, get deh todeh”; “haste makes waste”; “better to be late than to be ‘sorry’”; and others. But perhaps the most important message is simple: “speed kills”. We all have to check ourselves, and make that effort to embark a few minutes earlier to meet our deadlines, so that we don’t fall into the habit of always racing to catch up with time. Many of us are going too fast, right here in the rush hour mornings in the city, and also on the highways, where the cost of road accidents is higher, much higher, because the speed levels are much greater.
Individuals exert different levels of care or alertness in whatever we do, but as a driving population, there are some unavoidable facts and laws that pertain to what happens on our roads and highways. The scientists have done a lot of work on this, and their verdict is quite logical and conclusive. According to the website road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu, “Higher speeds: more accidents.” There is no denying this fact. “High speed reduces the possibility to respond in time when necessary,” and “At high speeds the distance between starting to brake and a complete standstill is longer as well.”
At www.iihs.org, a study concludes that “Small speed increases can have huge effects on crash outcomes.” Modern cars are very comfortable and even luxurious, and may even be safer for travelers, but there are still natural laws to be respected. “’Cars are safer than they’ve ever been, but nobody’s figured out how to make them defy the laws of physics … Higher speed limits cancel out the benefits of vehicle safety improvements like airbags and improved structural designs,” said Dr. David Harkey, IIHS president. Their crash impact study using a dummy illustrated that “At the 40-mph impact speed, there was minimal intrusion into the driver’s space. But at the 50-mph impact speed, there was noticeable deformation of the driver side door opening, dashboard and foot area. At 56-mph [our speed limit is 55 mph], the vehicle interior was significantly compromised, with the dummy’s sensors registering severe neck injuries and a likelihood of fractures to the long bones in the lower leg.” It’s much worse at 60, 70, 80 mph.
The facts are unavoidable; it is up to all of us to shake up our mentality and adjust our outlook about travelling at high speeds. Ironically, it is when drivers’ judgement and reflexes are impaired by drug/alcohol consumption that they tend to be even more inclined to speeding, often with tragic results.
As we try to celebrate this Christmas and New Year’s, please let us spread the message of “peace and love” and good will to all; and let every vehicle driver know, with nuff love, and tough love if necessary, that all our lives are precious, and the driver must be like a boat captain; and passengers must refuse to ride or mutiny and get a designated driver, if the one with the keys refuses to “get the sense.”
Sincere condolences to all who have lost loved ones. Peace and love, Belize!