Dear Editor,
Recently I read of an accident that took place on the access road leading to Mocha Arcadia. The scene of the crash showed a vehicle belly-up in the muddy waters of a canal. According to reports in the press the vehicle turned turtle several times before landing in the canal, although thankfully there were no fatalities. As expected the driver of the mini-bus blamed “the accident” on bad roads and steering which mysteriously malfunctioned. Even the villagers, who were not there, had supported him in this. From the point of view of logic and common sense it is more likely that the driver was speeding, because when there is a potholed road the sane thing to do is to drive very slowly, in and around those craters. Only if you want your vehicle to be irreparably damaged or risk it spinning out of control would you do otherwise, and this may have been the case in this incident.
I can recall my childhood years growing up in West Canje when we travelled on Dad and Buddy’s buses. Those buses were made out of motor lorries whose speed limit was 25 mph, and which travelled along burnt clay roads. I cannot remember any accidents during those years, however, I vividly remember the time when those burnt clay surfaces were replaced by asphalt, and sleek and faster-moving transport appeared that brought death to our roads. The same can be said of most of our communities where potholed roads were widened and became well paved, and in the urban locations traffic lights were installed at critical junctions.
Now new models of vehicles race past us at breakneck speeds All of the above are sure signs of progress and represent the development trappings of the modern age we live in; however, one cannot deny that many of our drivers – or should I say those who sit behind a wheel – drive recklessly.
Traffic lights are treated as hindrances rather than the help they were designed to be, while pedestrians are viewed as irritants or obstacles in the way of mini-bus drivers trying to make the extra dollar.
They treat our roads as racing circuits without a care about who they maim or kill.
Unless there are stiffer penalties such as longer jail time, revocation of licences and hefty compensation to relatives of accident victims, this nightmare involving traffic violations is sure to continue.
Yours faithfully,
Neil Adams
