admin
Lovert Mufukure
The traffic situation has become so bad that you ought to thank the heavens every time you drive in and out of town, to and from work. You get to meet all kinds of drivers who are oblivious of the fact that the roads are congested and we must be patient with each other. Zimbabwe’s road manners make me want to buy a jet, I’m sure you find more civilised people in the air. Sometimes though, it doesn’t take much to make the driving experience a better one for every road user. Its not always about following the traffic signs and rules in the Highway Code, sometimes just being courteous does the trick.
When manufacturers make cars, there is a lot of thinking that goes into the design of a car, a lot of trickery is put in every car for every driver to exploit. With a bag full of tricks it’s amazing some drivers can’t even perform magic. A special wand in infused into the driver’s cockpit, right behind the steering wheel, it performs some magical tricks like indicating that you intend to turn, switch lanes, switches on lights to full beam and to low beam so that you can let others see where they are going. Just like a magic wand, if you don’t move it back and forth, it won’t do anything, no tricks and definitely no magic. The issue of this magic wand tickles my nerves — if you are going to be a magician then be a good one, if not don’t be one. Same with the road, it’s a stage — you make or you break it.
It tickles my nerves because I drive a low slung car with a very low centre of gravity and I suffer from people’s high beams front and back. In a well lit city like Bulawayo, there’s really no need for full beam when driving through the city streets unless one is blind in the mind. Apart from the city being well lit, it’s the rule in the Highway Code to switch to low beam for oncoming traffic and also traffic in front of you. This just kills me because with my low rider, the glare in rearview mirrors is enough to cause blindness. The CBD is well lit; one could even drive with their lights off, not that you should but it’s beyond me how a normal person can drive right behind someone with their full beam on. Simple use of the magic wand and our roads would be a more pleasant place to be.
There is a cult of drivers in Zimbabwe that will make Zimbabwe rank last if road manners were ever to be put on a yardstick.
It’s well worthwhile to invest time in practicing proper road manners and etiquette. You would be surprised most accidents are caused by people that are just not willing to practice such. There’s still hope though, the few that actually show concern for other drivers, those people make my day, they deserve awards because they know and understand that driving on a public road is group activity. Personally I have experienced what it means to drive on foreign land. I think people there actually know what they are doing.
When you come close to someone driving slower than you, if the road is clear, they indicate left and move to the shoulder of the road on the far left allowing you to pass. How I wish drivers in my own country showed as much concern . . . here people drive on the crown of the road, with that you can’t pass me attitude. When someone forwards a good gesture like that, I indicate right, I pass as the road ahead is clear for my foreign adventures. I indicate left, filter back to the left lane, I flash my hazards once and twice. Just to say thank you for your kind manner. While I check my rearview, he flashes once and twice . . . I guess saying you are welcome . . . aah! How nice! If everyone behaved like that, our roads would definitely be a safer place to be.
Some of the accidents that occur on our roads are so horrendous you would wonder how they happened. Some cars break to peaces like an aircraft that has fallen from the skies all because of speed. It thrills but it kills, make no mistake. These “new” used cars are fast and quite comfy at high speeds. It’s a concrete jungle out there in Asia and all the laws that make it sin to drive a faulty car mean when the car comes here its still good for the high speed but, and it’s a big but, I doubt the engineers that put speed limits are as dim-witted as we put them out to be.
Observe the speed limit and then we may not have to add you to the statistics. It’s easy to do 160km/hr or more with these cars but with any mishap we see cars tearing down trees and crushing passengers to a pulp. Maybe we were good without them; imagine a Sunny Box doing those speeds — it has seen the harshness of the African roads — all the bolts and nuts holding it together would slacken and pull some Transformers moves — pun intended. Some of us might want to compensate for our low self worth by speeding and showing off to the ladies. I’m not a lady but I doubt very much they find it attractive.
Still on the speed thrills tip, a lot of people thought they were invincible also only to end other people’s lives. Think about it, in seconds, it will be all over. There’s no war we can win with that metal cage, the terminator would but not us — after a drink or two it might seem like science fiction but its reality. Once in a while, however, you may need to overtake someone going slower than you. I’m convinced you will still be doing the speed limit.
A hushed voice in every driver’s head says everything going slower than them is stupid and must move off the road. No, remember that person has a better view of the road ahead than you. With our narrow highways, you will need his help to check ahead of you. Alert him that you intend to pass, make use of that magic wand. I’ve seen this to work whenever I do it. I flash once then indicate showing my intention, the driver ahead, especially truckers indicates left when road is clear to show that I can try passing.
If you just try overtaking like you are passing a rock, some drivers will leave you to prove your lack of common sense. Within town I sometimes laugh in an evil way when someone passes so aggressively and we get to stop by the same traffic light . . . what’s the rush? Its Africa man!
The roads are for all of us, drivers and pedestrians alike. Just because you are driving, does not make the pedestrian any less significant. For all you know they have a Bentley round the corner. It takes collective effort and mutual respect to make our roads safer and a pleasant place to be. Give way to pedestrians, at the same time pedestrians should desist from Jaywalking and cross streets at designated points. It’s a collective effort that wins the race. Slowly but surely we make our roads a safer place to be.
In days past, it’s the taxi drivers that used to be a menace. Now the same spirit is creeping into some drivers as well, they cut others, they do not give way, they shout obscenities. I think it takes too much effort to do all that.
It’s actually easier to be patient, give way, let others pass, let others filter in when the traffic is unbearable, let others reverse out of tight parking spots — they will return the favour.
A good gesture always goes a long way, no one is perfect in every way but it’s the little acts of kindness that count. Till Next time . . . Keep using the magic wand!
Lovert Mafukure is a Japanese Imports Consultant. For Comments, views or questions regarding Japanese Imports and Spares you can contact him on 0772339938 or email [email protected]
Bongani Ndlovu