adminTatenda Chinoda Traffic safety
In my last article I talked about common sense driving and how it can prevent road traffic crashes. In this article, I am discussing the need to control the festive season euphoria as a possible way of controlling road traffic collisions. The festive season has come. The festive mood has gripped every corner of our thoughts, behaviour and attitudes. Although this mood is healthy for the edification of the souls of humanity, it can be tragic if it goes without moderation.
There is always a lapse in concentration and a subtle deviation from the norm that is characterised by the excitement, elation, exhilaration, rapture, jubilation, joy, and ecstasy of the festive period.
Some road users, unfortunately, tend to transfer this euphoria to influence their road behaviour and obviously get carried away. There are reported cases of joy rides that ended in fatal crashes. Pedestrians too, often get run over when they are too excited to concentrate on road traffic. Out of too much exhilaration often combined with drunk driving, some motorists dangerously weave through traffic.
We are certainly going to have Christmas and New Year parties of all sorts. Definitely we must enjoy ourselves. After all, Christmas and the New Year come once every year. However, this festive jubilation beckons us all to exercise restraint particularly when we have to use the road immediately before, during and after the festive parties.
You might be having a wedding say on the 21st of December 2013. This is quite an exquisitely perfect way of ending the year by beginning a new life ushered by the white wedding.
In a build-up to this wedding, relatives, friends, the groom and bride can be so excited that they drown in the ecstasy. As they drive in the wedding convoy, literally blasting the horns, the excitement reaches fever pick. The same applies even after the wedding during the after party and the subsequent honeymoon trips. Chances are high that the concomitant usage of the road is associated with slips in the observance of road traffic rules and regulations let alone concentrating on the driving.
Often some people involved in these parties never plan their trips. Night driving, which we must avoid whenever possible, ends up being very common in such circumstances. Since it is the driver, and not the vehicle that stops the vehicle at a stop sign or red traffic light, some of the drivers gripped by the festive euphoria might not stop as required. This endangers not only their lives but the lives of other innocent road users. Equally unsafe is the convoy of vehicles belonging to the party-goers. This is especially so because the convoy, with more than twenty or so vehicles, is allowed on the road without police escort to control other traffic.
Similarly, the weaving and blasting of the horn by vehicles in the convoy are disruptive manoeuvres. They can disturb the flow of a stream of traffic. This convoy also adds up to the complexity of the traffic jungle by exacerbating the traffic congestion problem.
Another very high and risky behaviour is the temptation to use unlicensed drivers (relatives and friends) to drive some of the cars not only for the convoy but also for any other related errands.
This, combined with the festive euphoria, is very dangerous. Even if it is a family function, qualified and experienced drivers must be used accordingly. In order to control the festive euphoria whilst at the wheel, it takes a qualified and experienced driver, preferably a holder of a valid Defensive Driving Certificate.
Someone could have obtained a driving licence a decade ago but might not drive better than a person who obtained the licence only half a year ago due to experience. The former might not have had any continuous driving experience.
Many of such drivers think that it is an embarrassment before their relatives and friends to admit their driving inexperience. In order to earn a high opinion and regard by their distinguished mates, they can do anything including lying that they can drive class 2 or 1 vehicles when they are holders of class 4 driver’s licences. Taking precautions is not a sign of cowardice, let there be a capable transport officer for every steering committee of any party.
Lastly but not least, there are and there will be delays at our borders. Subsequently, drivers tend to speed in order to cover up for lost time and above all meet their festive partying schedules. This is a high risk driving behaviour. Related to this is the temptation to drive for too long hours without a rest because you want to reach your destination in time. Nevertheless, it’s better to be late than be the late!
The writer, Tatenda Chinoda is a Traffic Safety Officer — Marketing and can be contacted on email: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> / [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> ; cell: 0772 966 075 or phone 04 – 751208.
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