adminZIMBABWEANS from all walks of life will on Monday and Tuesday next week celebrate Heroes and Defence Forces Holidays in honour of the selflessness of living and departed gallant sons and daughters of the soil who were prepared to lay down their lives so we could live lives of dignity. Yes, indeed, many perished while others were maimed and today they bear visible scars, marks that always remind them of the brutality of the racist Smith regime.However, as we honour these venerated men and women, it is our sincere hope that we do not become villains on the roads who kill and maim innocent travellers.
We must all drive to arrive alive.
We have already witnessed many gory accidents where scores were killed or maimed this year and we implore all road users to exercise due care.
While the responsibility for our own safety, if we are fortunate enough to own our own vehicles, lies in our hands, we should not forget that we share the road with others and the safety of all other road users begins with us.
Worse still we may have passengers who would have entrusted their safety in our hands, lets not betray their trust.
The same goes for public transport operators, the roads are likely to be teeming with travellers and the temptation will be to carry as many of them as possible, either through overloading or maximising trips by speeding.
We should remember that all these vices contribute to accidents and that 25 percent of all road accidents result from speeding.
While the cars we have today boast various security features and gadgets, we must never forget that it is not the car that is safe, but the man or woman behind the wheel.
And the safety of the driver lies in his/her attitude. A change in driving attitude is the responsibility of every driver, we must all take ownership in preventing accidents.
We will take this opportunity to remind all drivers of a few basic safety tips we all learnt at driving school: Stick to the speed limit, do not tailgate, be alert to changing conditions and if you feel fatigued, take a break.
Most importantly, if you drink like a fish do not drive, you are probably safer in a river.
We urge police and other traffic safety officers to have zero-tolerance to traffic offenders, defective vehicles should be impounded, drunk drivers locked up and errant ones sufficiently censured for they would be a danger not only unto themselves, but all other road users.
This Heroes and Defence Forces Holidays drive to arrive alive.
In keeping with the spirit of the season, lets all be heroes and heroines on the roads, that is lets put others first.
Online Reporter